Ms America (punchtheworld) wrote in salemscenes, @ 2016-11-03 21:09:00 |
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Entry tags: | america chavez (punchtheworld), kate bishop (noboomerang) |
who america and kate
what new place, no escape, much needed girl time
where kate’s room
when bendy times
rating/status low and closed
Twenty minutes.
Twenty minutes was how long it took America to realize she was stuck in Salem because of witches. She was kind of ashamed to admit that she had done a lot of kicking to try and escape. No matter how hard she had kicked she hadn’t been able to open a portal to a new dimension. What was the point of being an interdimensional traveler if she couldn’t leave this place? She may have taken her rage out by punching a van. In her defense, it totally looked like a kidnap van and it was illegally parked! Plus it wasn’t like anyone was around to tell her not to punch a van.
The person’s insurance would totally cover that, right?
Whatever. She was frustrated, stuck in a weird town, and people who should know her didn’t. Loki knew her because of course he did. She was still secretly betting that this was some messed up spell of his, but that was only because she wanted someone to blame. Kate knew her and that made America head towards the other girl. Chicas had to stick together or some nonsense! That was the story she was sticking with as she found herself knocking loudly on the door to Kate’s hotel room.
“Princess,” she called. “I have pizza.”
Who didn’t love pizza? Kate totally couldn’t turn her away if she came with such a thoughtful gift! Oh man, what if Kate told her to go sulk elsewhere? America snorted before flicking some hair over her shoulder with a free hand. Puh-lease, as if! No one, not even Kate, was going to turn down free pizza and time with someone as awesome as America Chavez.
“Come on, chica! I’m not dressed for this weather and need to bum pants off of you.” Showing up in a Northeastern place while wearing cutoff shorts? Not the funnest thing in the dimensions! She had her hoodie and jacket, but even she needed pants when the weather got cold. Ironic, she was bulletproof, but her skin couldn’t handle some snow and cold. “I’mma eat this pizza myself if you don’t hurry up, princess.”
Oh shit. What if Kate wasn’t there? America hadn't thought that far ahead.
----
It could be worse, Kate kept telling herself that. It could be worse. They could be—well, this was pretty much kidnapping at its finest, but Tommy and Billy could not know her at all. She could not know America. And while the technicalities of time streams and time lines and alternative universes was giving her a headache, she just reminded herself that at least they were mostly a team. Even if Loki was around too. He had been a Young Avenger once, sort of. More like a pain in the ass.
And so because of all this mentally exhausting business, Kate had been trying really hard to get to some sort of harmonious spot. Meditation, yoga, general zen-like peace, it all mattered when she was feeling the urge to shoot everything well up inside her. But it had been impossible with Tommy and Billy, and it certainly was going to be impossible with America "I Kick Everything, Including Your Ass" Chavez around.
As if on cue, Kate heard a knocking at the door, followed by pizza. Oh holy shit, yes. She needed something greasy and thoroughly unhealthy. And she needed to eat it while not in the vicinity of Tommy Shepherd, who would definitely scarf the whole thing down before Kate could blink. Kate was on her feet in a second, throwing open the door as America was making her speech for new pants.
Kate's eyes went from the pizza in her hands the shorts on her body. She made a small snort, then lifted her brow in that oh boy way. "I've got a pair of Lululemons that I had Tommy checking my ass out in that I was thinking of burning. They're yours," Kate said quickly, as she wiggled her fingers out to grab the pizza box from America. She lifted the flap and inhaled.
"God, never change. But always bring me pizza. New rule, feed me for pants." She was kidding, clearly, as she gestured inside with her head toward the kitchen. For being kidnapped, they really did get a sweet deal. Now if Kate could survive not having to do anything but superhero work, that would be the cherry on top of the sundae.
She didn't bother with plates or napkins, pulling a gooey piece from the pie and shoving it directly in her mouth. Kate swallowed the bite far too quickly for a girl without superpowers. "Find out all the kicking spots are no good here?"
---
“Lululemons? That a pokemon?” America wasn’t really into brands or styles. She was into comfy and practical. That really stemmed from having a costume that was very impractical back in the day. Chica, a halter top? Extra hard to fight crime in when you were afraid the girls were just gonna pop out. Looking back on it now she was honestly surprised she didn’t have a stupid amount of wardrobe malfunctions. Loki had knocked her into some brawl dimension and her jeans had taken a number, but her halter top had somehow stayed on. Weird. Well, now she stuck to her shirts and shorts for the most part.
“...if he tries to check my ass out I am going to knock him into another dimension,” she said matter-of-factly as she handed over the pizza. In a matter of seconds, she was inside Kate’s hotel place and heading towards the kitchen. She leaned against a counter as she watched Hawkeye with an amused look.
That girl could sure inhale pizza! America snorted slightly before crossed her arms over her chest and then her ankles as she made herself comfy.
“Yeah, princess. I think I gave myself whiplash from trying to kick myself to a new place. Loki even admitted to not being able to teleport himself out of here,” her smirk turned into a slight frown. “Also….what is up with Loki and Billy being BFFs suddenly? I nearly barfed all over my phone after reading some of the stuff they say to each other.”
Loki wasn’t the worst person in the worlds, but America kind of always wanted to punch him. Their relationship was a complicated one where they were always misunderstanding what the other was doing. The Asgardian had managed to do right by the Young Avengers in the end, but he had also pretty much yanked them all into a horrible mess.
“Dios, I just want to punch him sooo bad. Billy says no.” She shook her fist in the air in an attempt to get rid of some of her pent up need to punch something. “Just one-two ka-pOW! Loki might turn a different age again.”
--
"Keep the dimension kicking to a minimum. I don't want Tommy disappearing again. I'll never hear the end of it," Kate said between bites of pizza. She was sure that Tommy would complain, and Billy would flail, and it would be a repeat of their space trip. Except this time, she would know who was responsible and be guilted into getting the speedster. Not that she wasn't before, but Kate was starting to feel that everything her teammates did—done, and will do—reflected back on her. How did this happen? Was this what it felt like to get... older? Jesus Christ, Clint Barton's mentor-mania was rubbing off on her.
She was nearly finished with her slice when America brought up Loki. Well, that made her appetite buzz into nothingness. She leveled a hard look at America. "He doesn't remember," Kate said simply, as if that could explain everything. She slowly placed the half eaten slice in the box, but couldn’t keep her fingers from picking at pepperoni.
"Well, maybe not remembering is a crap way to explain it. He hasn't lived through it yet. He doesn't know about—" Kate waved her hand in a circle above her head. "Everything. It's like watching him slowly crash and burn again, and people say third time's a charm but that's pretty much garbage because the first two times weren’t that great to begin with." She couldn't pull Billy and Loki apart without spilling her guts to him about the future. And Billy wouldn't stop with one question. He'd ask them all and Kate had a hard time lying to him. She just tried to avoid the situation entirely, until she figured out a plan.
And now that plan would include America.
"I'm just... keeping a eye on it. Not that I don't trust Billy, but I definitely don't trust Loki with him, regardless of whatever age you're thinking about punching him back to. Maybe as a little baby? So he can't talk or use technology? That would be helpful," Kate said, bobbing her head back and forth considering. "You'll keep an eye on him too, right? He's been... well, Billy. Means well, does stupid stuff, feels five-thousand percent responsible."
She paused, her face scrunching up. "His mom is here too. But not his mom. Girl, it's shitty. You came at a bad time." Kate went for another piece of pepperoni. "You sure you can't kick your way out of here?"
---
America threw up her hands in a defensive manner when Kate got that look on her face. Well, clearly she had said something wrong. “I am not gonna kick Tommy to another dimension, girlfriend. Keep your arrows down. Plus I do know how to control my kicks, princess.”
Then the next words came and it all kind of made sense. Billy didn’t know who America was and that meant he didn’t know all about the fun times Loki had put them through. She knew Billy hadn’t known her, but she had really thought about the fact Loki could swoop in and use that ignorance to become friends forever. Loki clearly was at fault for everything that happened in the future. Okay, so maybe she had messed up Loki’s spell some and was partly to blame. Maybe.
“Seriously?” She shifted her stance so her hands were shoved in her jacket pockets. Her nose wrinkled in annoyance as it dawned on her that she was going to have to be careful what she said to Billy. There were things she could tell dear old Loki, but not things to tell Billy. Great. She wasn’t known for keeping her mouth shut.
“So I am not to tell Billy that his BFF is a dipshit at times?” America finally reached over and yanked a piece of pepperoni off the pizza. She popped the greasy meat in her mouth as she grinned at Kate. “I’ll do my best.”
And Billy’s mom was here too. Well, this was turning into a theme park from Hell. She raised an eyebrow at the kick question and promptly kicked the air in front of her.
Nothing. Nada. Zip.
A shrug was given before she picked up a slice of pizza as she went back to leaning against the counter. Cheese gooped onto her fingers and she promptly licked them clean. “Stuck, princess.” She inhaled that slice of pizza like there was no tomorrow before letting out a loud sigh. “I am gonna not tell Billy the future, I am gonna not punch Loki into baby form, and I am not gonna cause trouble. I give myself...ten days before I do one of those things.”
America was prone to cause trouble on accident. “Kate,” she said between licking some grease off her thumb. “How have you been doing here? Besides having Tommy check your booty out.”
---
"Seriously," Kate replied. "Well, you can tell him he's a dipshit, but you have to be a little iffy about the whens, whys, and hows." Kate knew what it was like to mess with timelines. She knew that there was always pushback and repercussions. And yeah, this was not the same—they were not befriending teenage Kang the Conqueror, or trying to save someone's dead father from an accident. But this still felt close to that. Like this could be a Nate situation all over again; except this time, a mischief making god named Loki was part of it.
Kate wasn't sure what was better.
She heaved out a heavy sigh when America failed to kick a hole into space and time right in front of her. Sliver of irrational hope was dashed.
"I'm fine," Kate said, exasperated. She should have been more riled up, confused and annoyed with the whole kidnapping thing—and she was, and she dealt with it accordingly, by herself, in her room—but at least she had friends. At least she wasn't alone. Kate was getting her emotions about it under control. Ergo, fine. Mostly.
"People keep thinking I'm this other person. I feel bad about it. I shouldn't feel bad about it, right?" Kate asked, realizing she had missed this girl talk. This ability to confide in another person—first Cassie, then America—when she just needed to reason things out loud. She couldn't remember how many times she would call America to vent about everything (Clint) and anything (her relationships). This was different situation, a different topic to broach, but she knew America would shoot straight with her.
"It's giving me a complex. I'm kind of just waiting to wake up," Kate said, tearing her pizza apart now into more bite sized, manageable pieces. "This can't be my life, America. How are we all here right now and why? This is some Twilight Zone stuff, which given our experience with interdimensional, shapeshifting parasites, is really saying something."
---
“Noted, chica.” America would refrain from giving Billy all the details. The last thing she needed was for him to be upset. Now that she thought about it she should probably keep a close eye on him. Well, it seemed wherever he was working was where she was going to work. That wasn’t stalking, it was making sure he stayed safe. With that plan in mind she tossed her uneaten crust into the pizza box.
“Uh huh, sounds like you are fine.” She rubbed her fingers together and made a face at the amount of grease that still remained. Why was it so hard to get the perfect pizza? In all of her travels she had only come across like three pizza joints that she would give a limb for. This was not one of them, but it was at least tasty.
America looked at Kate and shrugged.
“Don’t feel bad about it. I am roomed with someone that has my face which is beyond strange, princess. Is the person you are being mistaken for at least cool? Or is she some sort of serial killer?” She was trying to lighten the mood some with her line of questioning. And then America was letting out a loud sigh of her own. “I don’t know.”
The fact they were all there was still on her mind. None of this made sense to the girl who was from a different dimension.
“I’d suggest doing what you are best at,” she glanced at Kate. “Be a Young Avenger here. I am sure even Loki will be willing to help try and figure this all out. He already admitted not being able to just teleport away has been a blow to his ego. Which is pretty damn impressive and kind of makes me like this place just a little.” She held up her fingers to measure just how little she found herself liking this place.
---
"Who knows. Doubtful she's serial killer, she knows too many people, has too many friends. I thought serial killers were loners? Am I wrong? Stereotyping? I think I might be listening to too many crime podcasts." Kate said as she picked that uneaten crust right up and started eating it instead. She would never turn down carbs and seasoned bread from a pizza was right up her alley. Didn't matter if it was half eaten—as long as it didn't come from Lucky's mouth. She loved that dog, but she was not going to take his scraps.
Mouth stuffed, Kate merely rolled her eyes, avoiding America's jab and disbelief at her use of 'fine'. She wasn't great, but what did complaining about it do to help? Suck it up, deal with it, find a solution. They would. Two-thirds of them were together and formerly a team; if they couldn't do it, then what was the point of even using the moniker Avenger? Although Kate's did scrunch up in the way that said 'ugh, no, so not okay' when America mentioned her face twin.
"Clones? Skrulls? You sure she's not trying to replace you—as if anyone could, but you know what I mean. Watch your back, chica," Kate said, leaning back in her seat, giving America a once-over. She wasn't really considering that this might not be America—who else would share the mutual dislike of Loki and small pleasure of finding out that he was getting his ego a little deflated than the real America?—but it was nice to make her squirm a little. Kate was positive she never saw America sweat it, even when things got tough.
Reason number... one million that America was better to have around than being the lone girl in their group.
"So you mean I should shoot things, eat food, keep an eye on the guys, and generally be awesome. I mean, I'm pretty good at being awesome." And then as an afterthought, Kate added, "We're sure Loki isn't behind this? Maybe if we figure out a way to get out of Salem we can leave him here. Make him sweat it out a little."
---
"I don't know, chica. I don't make a study of serial killers." America debated picking up another pizza slice. Delicious, greasy, somewhat zesty. Eh, who was she kidding? She snagged herself another slice and watched as Kate ate the discarded crust. It was super nice that Kate was willing to finish the crust for her. America wasn't a huge fan of the seasoned bread husk for some reason. Maybe if she had some sort of cheese sauce to dip it in? Whatever, now was the time to focus on the pizza in her hand. This slice she ate a slower, but ended up with grease on her fingers again.
"If the girl has a lot of friends then I guess she probs isn't gonna stabby stabby everyone. They been jerks to you?" She took a large bite of the pizza and grinned. "And my face twin is kinda chill, princess. Hyper, but I can handle. That and we both like cheese fries."
How could anyone who liked cheese fries be evil?
"Also, if she was a clone or some Skrull I'd just give her the old one-two!" She dramatically punched the air in front of her like a boxer and nearly lost her slice of pizza. Whoops. The pizza was secured between her teeth in a matter of seconds. An eyebrow shot upwards at the look Kate was giving her. Instead of commenting she just focused on finishing her current slice of cheese, sauce, and awesome. Once she was done she tossed the crust into the box again.
"Yeah, princess, be awesome." She flashed a grin at Kate before she snorted with laughter. "As much as it pains me? I have to admit Loki isn't behind this. If he was it would be super easy to fix if it was him." She brushed her greasy fingers off on her shorts this time before going back to crossing her arms over her chest. The idea of leaving Loki behind if they ever got out was kind of tempting.
"Eh, he'd never let us live it down."