Who: Sue Storm and Ikaris Where: The Enchanted Forest (OUAT) When: April 1-15, 2019 What: Someone gets into a sticky situation Rating/Warnings: CW: Torture, but otherwise low Status: Complete
Ikaris the Eternal's Guide to Extradimensional Travel (and FUN!)
Step 1: Wake up in a strange place.
In this case, a forest.
Step 2: Panic
Such panic may include: Flying straight up. Breaking the treeline. Realizing this is like no woods ever seen on Earth.
Step 3: Realize this is not Earth.
Step 4: Identify possible civilization
e.g.— A road or a town. Coastal cities. A castle swirling in Darkness. Horses and a carriage.
Step 5: Grossly miscalculate First Contact.
Step 6: Wind up in an Evil Queen's dungeon with a metal blindfold.
Step 7: This is Karma.
Step 8: Acceptance/resignation.
**
"Queen's got a new toy," the tavern's latest customer announced to a largely uncaring crowd.
Susan had been to more than her fair share of strange other worlds and dimensions, and while sometimes the team had fumbled things (usually thanks to one of the men), her general protocol was to lay low and find out what she could before discovering why she was there or how to get home - whichever priority seemed top of the list. After she’d initially found herself in the Enchanted Forest, Susan had “borrowed” some clothes to change into and keep her FF uniform - which she often wore anyway - concealed as she made her way through the land. By now, she’d been there for a couple of weeks and had at least learned the names of the major players - the Evil Queen, Snow White and Prince Charming, Red Riding Hood, Gepetto and many others from the storybooks she’d often read to her children at night. She’d made careful contact, not telling anyone of where she came, aside from a land “far away”, but she’d at least managed to become trusted by the rebellion, which she’d naturally gravitated towards, considering who the people involved were.
At the moment, she was having a quiet meal as she listened to others in the tavern, and caught the words of someone who’d just walked in. It didn’t interest her, at least not until one of the Dwarves spoke up to ask for details, and Sue listened to the description - a man, tall with dark hair that had a streak of gray or white - which immediately made her think of Reed. Before she could ask more, another detail was given - apparently the man had shot strange bursts of light from his eyes, and the Queen kept some kind of metal blindfold over him now, which made Susan wonder if Scott Summers had somehow found his way there.
No matter who it was, she left the tavern shortly after and made her way to the rebellion’s meeting place to talk to Snow and Charming, and went directly to them when she reached it.
“I believe that the Evil Queen is keeping a friend of mine prisoner. I need to go and see who it is, and break him out. Will you help me?”
The famed and fabled heroes only had to exchange a look—one developed after years of playing cat-and-mouse, both with the Queen and each other—to reach a unanimous decision. For Snow's part, it was because Sue had shown herself to be a kindred spirit, while David (aka-Charming) couldn't abide anyone being a prisoner to that terrible woman. "It won't be easy," Snow said, even as she began checking her bow to make sure all was at the ready, "but where's the excitement in easy?"
Charming did his best not to chuckle, but lost the fight fairly easily. "There are still a few weaknesses in the servants quarters and the catacombs beneath the castle we can probably exploit. We were kind of hoping to keep them in our back pocket for when we finally drove her out, but needs must. We can leave at nightfall. Do you think your friend will be okay until then?"
(He would. The Queen hadn't grown bored with him yet, even though he hadn't exactly made himself a sparkling conversationalist.)
“I’m well used to things not being easy,” Sue said drily. One day when she returned home and saw her children again, she was looking forward to telling them about her time with Snow White and her prince - but for now, she’d focus on rescuing whoever it was the Queen had. There was always the possibility that it was someone she didn’t know - or someone not from her world at all - but she didn’t like the thought of innocent people being kept prisoner anymore than these two did.
“Hopefully - from what I heard at the tavern, he’s already been there a few days, which I hope means that the Queen is taking her time.” Whether that was good or not - well, that was another story. “I can keep us from being seen, but with your knowledge of the castle and the grounds, that will make this go easier and faster,” she added, thinking ahead to the fact that she would probably have to go invisible, which meant she’d want to remove the extra layer of clothes now that she wore over her suit.
Stepping away and behind a curtain, she tugged off her cloak, then stripped out of the blouse and skirt she’d “borrowed”. Her suit covered her otherwise, and over that she pulled her cloak back on since she’d need it when they left the cabin and stepped back out.
Charming had already gone off to start collecting provisions for their stealth trip, so Snow White alone was there to see Sue emerge. She hadn't meant to stare, but, "I've never seen fabric so… form fitting before. At least not dry." With a little shake of her head, she laughed quietly and literally waved it off. "I'm sure there are a thousand wonders I've never experienced, but maybe I'll finally get to once we take the kingdom back."
She beckoned her new friend and ally over to the camp table where she'd set out a map. "We still have patrols to contend with, but it seems like the Queen is far too wrapped up in your poor friend to make many appearances. There's a greater risk of discovery the closer we get to the castle, of course, but that's to be expected. It's the dungeon guards I'm more concerned about, and her Huntsman. I haven't heard from him either for a while, but I won't discount anyone. Are you sure you want to come with us? We could probably do this on our own. I'd hate to put you in danger."
Susan gave a little laugh of her own. “I know it’s unusual, but it’s…special. It was made for me by - my husband,” she said after the briefest hesitation, a shadow crossing her face for a moment. Susan had to believe she’d see Reed again someday - as well as Franklin, Valeria, Johnny, and Ben - but she didn’t know if things would ever be better between them…not after his recent choices, at least.
“How dangerous is the Huntsman? And you don’t have to worry - I’ve been in situations far more dangerous than this,” she assured the brunette as she walked over to the map and studied it, taking in the entrances to the castle and the routes to and from.
“What do you know of the guard schedules?”
Snow knew that look, and she didn't hesitate to reach over and give her new friend's hand a gentle squeeze. Her thoughts inevitably went to Charming, but she forced them back with a smile that went a little sharp around the edges. Chances were, she'd been spending a lot of time with Red, and there might have been some influencing here and there. "Plenty. Let me show you."
A few hours later, as night began to fall, the rebel's extensive knowledge really paid off. The small group only had a couple of close calls, but nothing that involved running for their lives. If Snow and Charming had been sniping at each other and exchanging teasing barbs constantly at the camp, it was completely gone while they worked together to get Susan to her destination. Eventually, they made it to a rusted through storm grate in one of the shallower places in the moat. A murder of crows called to one another overhead, and Snow kept eyeing them warily.
"I can never tell if they're hers," she muttered under her breath to her companions, "or just attracted to the dreary scenery. Once we make it inside, don't stop until you get to the fourth drainage tunnel on the left. Listen very carefully for the guards as you go. We don't want an errant footstep to call the whole castle down on our heads."
Susan stayed silent as they moved, occasionally using her enhanced vision - another product of her powers - to warn the others as they made their way. As they reached the grate, Sue followed Snow’s glance towards the birds, but decided that for now, she wouldn’t pay them any mind.
“I memorized the route you gave - if you two want to stay here, I can go in on my own. I don’t want either of you getting captured or hurt trying to help me.” She didn’t entirely know where their story would go in this world, but knew enough that they were too important to risk. Before they could argue, she slipped her cloak off and handed it to Snow, then turned herself invisible and reached out to the grate to carefully open it, using a soft invisible construct to keep it from making too much noise.
Another invisible cushion formed under her feet, and she stepped inside, leaving no footprints behind before looking back at Snow and Charming. “I can do this by myself, if you want to wait here. In fact, a distraction might not be a bad idea, one that could draw some of the guards away from the dungeon.”
Any wonder (which was quite a lot) at the magic they were seeing was eclipsed by the seriousness of their mission. Snow and Charming shared a look that was clearly a silent debate, before Snow nodded to the bit of air that had just spoken. "I know just what to do. Sometimes being the Enchanted Forest's number one most wanted has its advantages. Give us a few minutes to get set up. You'll know when you make your move."
In his cell, completely unaware of the current rescue attempt, Ikaris was playing out the last couple of hours of his life before getting pulled into the portal-universe. What else was he supposed to do, bound as he was with twisted magical vines that kept him on his knees? He'd already torn through the traditional kinds a few times before being subdued by one of the Queen's spells. She seemed hellbent on breaking him, had even said as much during one of his last attempts at escape. Little did she know that he'd been broken for a long, long time.
He kept his breathing shallow, but could still feel the dig of the thorns with each movement. They scraped at his skin, but had only pierced him a couple of times—which was enough of an object lesson not to let it happen again. The Queen had warned him he wouldn't like what happened if he moved around too much; the white-hot agony contained in each sharp point proved the threat was very real. So he knelt, and he breathed, and he considered every awful choice that had brought him to this point.
A sudden commotion snapped him out of his thoughts. Guards were shouting. One of them called into the dungeon, "Leave him and get out here. She's been spotted in the woods right outside the castle gates, bold as brass. Queen wants everyone out there, scouring the area until we've found her."
“Thank you - and if I don’t find you after, just know that I appreciate your help. Both of you,” Susan added, before turning and silently making her way through the sewers to head for the dungeon. When she reached the grating that led in, she saw light and heard shouting, then smiled when she heard their words. After a few seconds to make sure they were gone, Susan finally pushed her way silently into the dungeon and hurried over to the cell.
What she saw there made her flinch in sympathy, before she picked up one of the torches and held it closer so she could see his face, and she finally spoke - a soft voice in the quiet of the dungeon. “You’re…Ikaris?” Susan had seen the Eternals on the network, back in New York, but hadn’t expected to find one here.
“My name is Sue Storm - you were in New York too, right?”
The voice was as lovely as it was unexpected, the latter of which caused him to jerk reflexively. He'd been so good about watching his movements that the resultant wave of pain caught him unawares. His mouth opened with a whimper he couldn't have caught even if he'd tried, but he bit it off with clenched teeth and shuddering breaths. Even behind the metal covering his face, he could see spots of bright color that faded slowly, enough that her question finally coalesced into something that made sense. "Never thought I'd miss that place."
Ikaris smirked in her direction, or at least what he assumed was her direction. "And since I never told the Queen about it or the world I came from, I have to believe you are who you say you are. And where you say you're from. Yes, I'm Ikaris, and I remember your name from the private network the Avengers use. I believe I recall your face as well. Please tell me you didn't get yourself captured as well?"
“Don’t move - “ She cut herself off when he did, and shook her head in sympathy. “And no, I haven’t been captured - I’m here to rescue you.” Replacing the torch in its bracket, Susan reached out to the lock on the cell door and used an invisible construct to break apart the lock before opening the door. After one more glance back in the direction the guards had gone, she stepped in and moved up to kneel in front of Ikaris as she studied the thorned vines, reaching out to touch his hand so he’d be reassured that she was there.
“Now to figure out how to get you out of this so we can get out of here.”
If Ikaris could have laughed, he would have. Not worth the risk, however. "I'm hoping you know a lot more about magic than I do, because the more I try to get out of this, the worse the results. I'm starting to think the Queen is less about torture and more about boring me to death while I sit and wait for her inevitable visit, with little more to entertain me but the thoughts in my head."
His mouth ticked into a smirk. "Might be a more effective torment, but I don't think she's got mind-reading in her arsenal. Here's hoping you don't either. How'd you manage to get in here in the first place? Or was that going to be your next question for me?"
“As entertaining as telepathy might be for some, I count myself lucky that I can’t do that,” she replied dryly. “I am going to try and cut one, to see if that will help. Brace yourself, okay?” Susan knew he was obviously in a great deal of pain and didn’t want to cause him more, but she also knew that they didn’t have a lot of time and they needed to leave. Soon. Almost as an afterthought, she went ahead and made him invisible as well, even while silently closing the cell door behind her. At least if the guards returned before she was done, they would see nothing but a broken lock on the floor.
“As for how I got in, I made a couple friends who helped.” Forming an invisible knife in one hand, she reached out to grasp a vine and carefully cut through it while watching the rest to make sure she wasn’t making matters worse.
The entire mass writhed once a piece of it was severed. Ikaris stiffened, felt the scrape of thorns against the back of his neck and over his arms, but they didn't pierce the skin. "Do you have a way of doing whatever you're doing all at the same time, maybe? These bastards don't much like this, but it's the most they've ever moved."
He made himself as ready as he could, just waiting for one of those jagged little tips to dig deeper, and decided to aim for a distraction. After all, he finally had company that wasn't sworn to do the queen's bidding. Might as well avail himself of some awkward social niceties. "Friends, eh? How'd you manage that?"
Then a thought struck him. "My eyes. If you can get this thing off my face, I could have this cursed weed blasted to atoms in seconds."
“I could, but I’m worried that it’d still attack,” she mused, feeling a little uncertain about it. At his questions about how she’d made friends, Sue chuckled softly. “I talked to people, got to know them, found out what drives them and what hinders them. How do you make friends?” She asked teasingly, before glancing at his face when he mentioned his eyes. He seemed more like Scott than she thought.
“Let’s see…” Lifting one hand to his chin, she tilted his head just a little and moved closer to try and study how it was attached. There seemed to be a keyhole of some kind on one side, and a hinge, so she concentrated on making an invisible key for a moment. Lifting it to the keyhole, she fiddled with it gently until she heard a tiny click, and it came open, allowing her to pull it off his head and drop it to one side before standing and stepping back.
“Alright, your move.”
He huffed quietly while she worked, still so very very careful of the movement of his chest, and his lips quirked upward. "Bold of you to assume I ever learned that skill." He thought of Clark and Rogue, his circle of two. Better than the nothing he had before. "I have friends, but I can't say how they got that way."
His hopes weren't up in the slightest, but he felt a wave of dizzying gratitude when light pierced the absolute darkness he'd been in for days. It hurt, but was a welcome pain. Ikaris sat like that for a handful of seconds, knowing better than to open his eyes all at once, no matter how much he wanted to. Power built behind his closed lids, fueled by the rage and impotence he'd been feeling ever since the queen had taken him down with a flicker of her black manicured fingers. He dropped his chin to his chest, and let his power fly.
The vines contracted in a last ditch effort at defense, but Ikaris fought past wave after wave of agony. He poured his fury into all he had, until the vines were dust and his throat was raw from the cry he couldn't keep in. The rest of the cell slowly came into focus, and with it his rescuer, who really was as beautiful as he'd pictured. He nodded slowly, stiffly. "Thank you. Is this the part when we run for our lives?"
Susan couldn’t help but watch, though she automatically thickened the invisible shield around them to keep in any sound. When he finished, she stepped forward and reached down to grip his arm and help him to his feet. “I think that’s a good idea. My friends are distracting the Queen and her soldiers, but that won’t last much longer. Come on.”
Turning, she led the way out of the cell and back down the hallway, keeping their footsteps muffled. When they reached her way in, Sue pulled open the grate again and gestured Ikaris inside. “It’s a little bit of a maze down here, but it won’t take long to get out.”
"You made some good friends." A dry observation, but he silently added these mysterious friends to his list of people he needed to thank. It was the last such comment he made as he followed his rescuer into the tunnels beneath the castle. Sue Storm had evidently used her time rather effectively. Ikaris wished he could say the same, but wishes never really got anyone anywhere and weren't worth more than the thoughts they were made of.
Dozens of nicks and cuts along his exposed back and torso made the going slower than he wanted. Whatever magic that was in those thorns was still leeching his energy, otherwise, he would have picked Sue up and flown them out of that accursed castle. They finally cleared it after a small number of stops and starts when guards passed too close to one of the storm grates overhead, and Ikaris was sure he'd never smelled air cleaner than this in three hundred years. The treeline was up ahead, so close. So, so close.
“Experience,” was all she said by way of explanation. As they moved, she kept the pace slow but steady, ready to give him a supporting arm if and when he needed it. As they reached the end, Sue stepped out just as quietly as she had stepped in, and after he was out as well she shut the grate once again.
Peering around, she spotted the cloak she’d left before folded over a branch and grabbed it, pulling it on to cover up her uniform. “We should get out of here quickly. My friends will hopefully be back at their headquarters, so we can make our way there.”
They made it into trees unscathed, but it didn't keep Ikaris from constantly looking over his shoulder or keeping on high alert. "Does your invisibility extend to people, too?" He'd been paying attention to more than just their escape route. "If so, you can point me in the right direction, and I could probably fly us out. It got me in trouble the first time, but having backup should help my chances this time. And knowing better than to piss off the evil Queen."
“It does. I was keeping us hidden back there just to be safe,” she told him, not at all surprised that he’d noticed some of what she’d done. And while he certainly wasn’t Scott Summers, his powers had been similar - but obviously he didn’t need to wear special equipment to keep his power under control.
“You don’t have to fly us, if you’re too weak from the thorns.” An invisible bubble formed around them that hid them from others’ sight, and lifted them a few inches off the ground gently. “I can get us there.”
A part of his pride bristled, but Ikaris couldn't ignore the lingering effects of the magic. It was all he could do to stay on his feet, at this point. "Lead on, Sue Storm, my knight in invisible armor."