Harry Dresden (dresdensluck) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-06-05 09:16:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, !trigger warning, alma wade, billy batson (captain marvel), harry dresden, j'onn j'onzz (martian manhunter), lysander scamander, thor odinson, winston frost |
Are you ready?
Who: Alma Wade, Billy Batson, Harry Dresden, J’onn J’onzz, Lysander Scamander, Thor, Winston Frost
Where: Orange County
What: Alma finishes her quest, with a little help
When: 06/02
Warnings/Rating: PG-13 for mentions of deaths, brain bending, personality death, and past trauma
Status complete
It was nearly midnight by the time that Alma had stopped moving. She needed a place to rest. She needed...she needed to find her father and end this.
The girl crawled onto a bench in a park, and closed her eyes. Just a short rest.
A couple of hours later... the park was dark, and the moon was high over it, magic bright and filling the air. Or maybe that was just Lysander’s way of seeing it.
Lysander, having departed home early, was wandering, making leaves dance. He didn’t have much magic, yet, but he had some, and he felt like he could and should use it. He didn’t have a wand, but somehow, he found he didn’t need it if he just tried little things and concentrated a lot..
He was walking when he spotted the girl and hmmed. She seemed like she was comfortable, but it was cold! He gestured and a threadbare blanket appeared and flopped onto her.
She opened her eyes, blinking them slowly as she felt a weight on her body. Alma sat up straight, reaching out with her mind defensively.
Lysander tumbled back, the strange feeling in his mind making him dizzy. Lysander was a little crazy, it must be noted, so his mind was like a bag of cats. Some were purring, some were yowling, some wanted out, some just wanted to nap.
"Oh." Alma rubbed at her head. He seemed harmless. "You startled me."
“Sorry! You seemed like you might be cold! So I made you a blanket! It won’t last long, but at least you would be warm a little while.” Lysander nodded ruefully. His magic faded quickly. He was sure if he dreamed more he would be able to stop that.
She fingered the blanket curiously, then tried to meet his eyes. At least he wasn’t trying to help her fight. She'd found it sweet but a little disheartening that people Thought she couldn't handle herself.
His eyes were warm, if filled with a million thoughts. “Do you like ice cream? There’s a store near here and it opens soon!” He nodded.
"What time is it?" Who didn't like ice cream?
“2 or 2:30, or 3. They close for a couple of hours, then are open the rest of the time.” Lysander nodded. “They are pretty nice, too.”
“I do not have much time,” Alma said. “But I can make time for ice cream.”
“Good!” Lysander smiled shyly, then and offered her a hand, to lead her toward the ice cream parlor, which would be opening its door soon. She was nice! He approved of anyone who could make time for ice cream.
It was good to eat ice cream before committing patricide, Alma thought, taking his hand. Part of her was having second thoughts. She might not kill her father at all. But she’d still deal with him.
The ice cream shop was open and soon they had ice cream bowls and Lysander was telling.her a story about his pet frog Anduardo. He was enjoying himself
Alma was lightening up bit by bit. She listened intently, until her ice cream was all gone.
Lysander smiled and bounced out with her, paying, then ambling along with her, in silence for a moment. “Do you need to head out? You said you don’t have much time? I would love to hang out with you more, but I understand busy. Everyone’s busy.” Right now, Lysander had nothing but time as his workplace was being rebuilt and almost all of his makes were done.
“I have some things to do. But perhaps we will meet again.” She turned to smile at him, then on impulse, gave him a hug. Some of her worst encounters had been random. And so had some of her best.
Lysander smiled at her and hugged her back. “Yay! Then be safe and give me a holler when you have time!” He bounced and grinned at her. “This rocks!”
Alma laughed, and started down the street. She had a bit of a spring in her step. She just needed her lead so she could...take care of her father.
She was beginning to think she shouldn’t become him.
Billy Batson was out, now in a minor cast and a larger brace, and slowly walking along, trying to get exercise without straining his leg. He felt happier than he had in a long time. He felt like he was finally getting past his troubles with the battle, and his guilt and horror at what had happened there.
He sincerely hoped he was, anyway.
“Hello,” A voice said, from behind Billy. Alma approached him cautiously. “You are hurt. How were you hurt?” She was a far cry from the angry creature she’d been a week or two ago.
Billy, used to telling people by now, started talking before he turned. “Broke my leg being stupid, and was lucky that help was nearby.” He glanced over at her and nearly fell over himself. “Holy Moley!”
He was lying, of course. She gave him a nervous smile. “Hello. Do you remember me?”
“Yes! Alma Wade! I do... are, ah,. you okay?” He was a little afraid, but not of her. He held out a hand, then nodded to her smile. “You look happier.” His memories of that day a week and more ago were a little hazy, but he did recall.
"I am. I have realized a few things. I know what I have to do, and I do not have to lose my soul to do it." And then she could be with Beth and Elise again.
Billy smiled wider. “Good. Is there anything I can do to help?” He had no idea if she wanted or needed help, but he was the sort who offered.
“I need to contact a man named Harry Dresden,” she said, folding her arms. “I need him to know I will not do anything drastic.”
Billy pulled out his phone for her and smiled, offering it. “Here. His contact info is on my list. He’s done work for my family.”
Well that was easy. “...may I borrow your phone for a few minutes? You can stay here and watch me, I do not mind.”
“Of course you can. And I can give you privacy if you like.” Billy smiled, willing to trust her. He poked her lightly.
She smiled and dialed Harry.
Harry picked up his new phone on the second ring. “Hello? Dresden Investigations!” He was having a good day.
“Mr. Dresden?” Alma asked, modulating her voice so he’d have an easier time recognize it.
“Alma! How are you? Where are you?” He sat up, concern showing in his voice. “Are you okay?”
“I am fine. I am not going to kill my father. I have another plan.” Alma didn’t say what that plan was, she wasn’t sure what it would be, but she would figure it out when she got there.
Harry nodded, smiling. “Good.” He sat back then. “Do you want me to come along, or are you good then?”
He was willing to trust her, to an extent.
“I think I will be good. I need to go back to my family when I am done.” She paused, then added. “Thank you, Harry. And I need to thank the Alex’s, too.”
“I’ll pass it along, if you like. But I’m sure you'll get a chance once you are back with your family.” He grinned. “Maybe we can have coffee sometime?”
“Perhaps we will.” Alma smiled into the phone. She might have to make time for that, before she left.
“Thank you again.” She hung up, and held the phone out to Billy. “And thank you.”
Harry nodded and sighed as he sat back, then lifted his phone to call Summers and Rogan. They deserved to know this newest thing. Billy took his phone and smiled to her. “Not a problem. Sounds like you’re feeling pretty okay.” He smiled wider. “Are you ready?”
“I’m ready.” Alma turned, and glanced over her shoulder. “You have a hero’s heart. Trust in it.” And then she started to walk away.
Billy swallowed, then nodded, and watched her go.
Driving along, close by Winston Frost was in his limo, and headed for a meeting with one of his holdings managers, to get rid of some property and then to call the police. He had become aware of some naughtiness going on there and he would not let his resources be involved!~
At the stoplight, he glanced aside to see a woman walking along and nodded to her, his window open as was his habit. “Morning.”
She looked at him, brushing his surface thoughts defensively. “Good morning. It is technically morning, or the small hours as some people like to say.”
Winston was mostly thinking about making sure his company did not get tarred by a rogue groups actions and protecting people at the same time. “True. I find myself often out at these hours. I hope your morning is well.” She was odd, but that’s okay. Winston rather liked odd.
Rogue groups were bad things. She tried to see if ‘cerberus’ was in any of those thoughts. “It is going well. I am taking a walk. Trying to clear my head.”
That word was definitely there, rumored, but not confirmed. And he intended to put a stop to it! He was headed to set things in motion now. “Good. I hope that continues for you.” As the limo started forward, he lifted a hand to wave, then sat back, thinking about what he had to do.
Alma tilted her head, then started to jog in that direction. It worked with her lead, and maybe she could end this forever. She needed to get there soon though. She hoped she wouldn’t have to harm the old man. He seemed nice.
Winston, thankfully, was not actually headed to the sight, but to one of his offices, to file paperwork and then to call the police. He had no taste for this mess.
In the meantime, in the slowly lightening morning, John Jones, the Martian Manhunter, fought Cerberus goons too strong for their own good. Pumped up on drugs allowing them to be stronger, faster and more powerful, he had to be very careful not to kill them in stopping them. It was... annoying.
Lightning arced from the sky and slammed into the crowd and scattered them and Thor landed nearby, Mjolnir in his grip and his armor glowing. “It seems the battle has heated up. Where are they getting all of these goons?”
John shook his head as more poured out of the building toward them. “Seems like a bunch of people have gone missing like normal lately, but just a few more than normal, all over the world. Not enough to make many people notice though. Looks like we’ve found what happened to them.”
“Aye. Can you see their minds?”
“Yeah, brainwashed and bent, one and all.”
“Damn it and damn this Cerberus.”
Alma stood away and apart, but she learned enough when she got there. She ran around the corner and hijacked the first car she found, starting it with her powers. Flooring it, she sped past Thor and John. Her father was hers, and hers alone.
John reached out to her mind. Thor and John traded looks and a conversation that lasted much longer in a moment, and as she sped past heat vision and Mjolnir both raced her, clearing her path, to the heart of the compound.
All they could do is try to distract those Oncoming.
She rammed the car into a building, and it exploded. She stepped through wreckage and fire both, eerily reminiscent of the evil, rage filled woman of her dreams. Only she was calm, and no one inside was hurt.
She found her father.
The Professor, as the man called him, was busy packing bags and then running for the doors. But when he saw her, his face went white.
“Alma...” He was pale and he swallowed, and his hands reached for a bag in which he had a neutralizer. If he could just reach it...
“Father.” She lifted him into the air and pushed him against the wall. She walked closer, tearing into his mind, ripping out codes and secrets and plans, which she fed into John. “Harlan Wade. I should kill you. I should destroy you. But I will not. I will not become you.”
She pressed her fingers against Harlan’s forehead. “Your life will be hard, but you will be content.”
Harlan had no idea what to do. He swallowed, shuddering. “Don’t... don’t do this. I can give you power, and thoughts... I can give you... more...” He cried out as things left his mind, and he shuddered, confused.
“Why?”
And then... and then...under her touch, his mind simply changed.
She leaned in, and kissed his forehead. “No one is born good, or evil. They simply become who they are through outside influences. You are free now, to become a good man. Use it well, or next time you will die.”
“I... you... thank...” He sank down the wall, eyes drooping, and his eyes closed,then opened, one more time. He looked up at her, as he started to forget everything “I am proud of you.” He sank down fuhrer, mind clearing from all the darkness that had lived there so long. And then he was asleep, snoring there against the wall.
Behind her a soft voice spoke. “I can take him away from here, make sure he has a chance to use that new start.” Floating in mid-air, the Martian Manhunter in all his glory turned kind eyes on her, his mind warm toward this woman.
“Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Please, take him.” She smiled at the alien. “That’s all I need. I have to fix memories.” She chewed on her lip. Maybe she should leave with Beth, and go somewhere safe, too.
John smiled and he held out a small phone. “If you ever need help, call.” And then he lifted her father and vanished, just like that, taking him off to start his new life.
Alma watched him go. She strode out of the wreckage, and down the street. She had someone she needed to see.
~fin~