canon au } { post-1310, of skitters and spaceships

[thisholyspark]

Olivia: [she hurts. Everything hurts. whatever happened, whatever it was, she really, really hurts and would like to resolve that as soon as possible. As she comes to, she groans a bit as she rises into a sitting position and takes stock of everything. She has two arms, two legs, and one angel blade, and that's going to have to do for now. She glances around, trying to take stock of where exactly she is, when a skitter comes out of the trees, and is staring at her as though she isn't supposed to be there. She probably isn't. But given that Liv has never seen a skitter before, her eyes widen a bit in response.] What the fuck? [and then, suddenly, it lunges for her, and she swears again before rolling to the side and trying to get to her feet. She jabs at the thing with her blade, managing to get a few strikes through before she manages to jab it right through the heart and watches as the eyes burn out in surprise. She withdraws the blade, stumbles back just slightly, and repeats, in case she wasn't clear the first time] What the fuck?

Hal: [and he is going to skid to a stop as he sees two things he wasn't expecting. First was the dead skitter because he had been the thing chasing it after because he couldn't risk it getting back to it's nest and revealing the camp's location. The other was the hot girl who had just stabbed the fuck out of it. He smirked a bit, lowering the barrel of his AK but he didn't push back his hoodie just yet.] I'm pretty sure it's dead.

Olivia: [she looks up and she startles a bit because that is definitely her boyfriend. but that is also not her boyfriend. She squints at him for a moment, before she straightens a bit] Yeah. I got that.

Hal: You alright? [he came closer, his gait nowhere near the same. The swagger was there, but his was more cautious. Overly aware of his surroundings. Balanced to pivot and move at a moment's notice, and his head kept checking the perimeterp like he was expecting something else to jump out at them]

Olivia: Yeah. [takes a breath and pushes to her feet] Aside from the fact that I have no idea where I am.

Hal: [licks his lips, pushing back his hoodie. He looks like he's recovering from a beating - thanks Pope - and he's guarded and a bit rough around the edges, but it's her boy all right.] North Carolina. What do you last remember? [his finger is laying along the trigger guard, watching her carefully in case she is an Espheni spy]

Olivia: Sioux Falls? [Jesus, how the hell did Jack send her to North fucking Carolina. Though looking at Hal, she's starting to think this may not be her North Carolina either] Which probably makes it sound like I'm on a hell of a bender.

Hal: Yeah, or that you're bugged.

Olivia: Sorry, bugged?

Hal: [he's looking over his shoulder, and then raising the tip of his gun a bit] Yeah. Well, can't just leave you out here.

Olivia: I can manage myself just fine. Don't put yourself out on my account. [burning her bridges is probably not a smart play but she doesn't want her boyfriend's doppelganger to shoot her either] And you still haven't told me what "bugged" means.

Hal: No, you don't understand, I can't leave you out here. [that's a look that you're going with him if you like it or not] Got a bug from the Eshpheni. Spying for them.

Olivia: I'm assuming the Eshpheni are things like that? [points to the dead skitter she killed]

Hal: Their bosses, actually.

Olivia: Okay. So how do I prove that I'm not bugged?

Hal: You can't. Not to me at least. [he's going to toss her a pair of zip ties] My brother though, he's pretty good at figuring it out.

Olivia: [deep breath, but if Ben's on the case then she can deal. She catches the zip ties with one hand as she sheathes the angel blade with the other, before slipping them around her wrist and pulling with her teeth, as though she has experience with this kind of thing. She holds her hands up once they're bound, as though to say "happy?" and looks at him expectantly]

Hal: [he smirks at that.] Let's go. [and he will flick his gun for her to move past him and head back the way he came]

Olivia: [and she will do as she's told, keeping an eye out for landmarks and things in case she needs to cut and run]

Hal: So Sioux Falls. That's a bit far from here. How'd you get out this way?

Olivia: I have no idea. [there's a beat, because that's kind of a lie] Well ... I have a vague idea, but I feel like telling you will get me shot faster.

Hal: Only if it involves spaceships.

Olivia: [laughs] That it does not. [a beat as she glances back at him over her shoulder] So is that the big problem around these parts? Spaceships?

Hal: What rock have you been hiding under?

Olivia: A pretty big one. [a beat] But I'd rather not get into it until your brother confirms I'm not a spy. As I said - I have a very vested interested in not dying right now.

Hal: Well, long as you're not a spy, we can help with that. [he pauses a moment] I'm Hal, by the way.

Olivia: Liv. Winchester.

Hal: Like the gun?

Olivia: Just like.

Hal: Don't let my dad hear that or he'll try and give you a history lesson on it. [and they arrive at the edge of a town that is pretty much demolished, concrete walls up and abandoned cars as barriers. He'll get them back the guards and walk her through the refugee camp to the building that had become the makeshift prison, and he will put her into the room and chain up the piece of fence that was the door] Sit tight.

Olivia: [nods and goes to do just that, sitting crosslegged against the wall, zip tied hands in front of her, and just waits patiently for them to decide how they're gonna play it.]

Hal: [and he will return with Ben in tow who is a lot more athletic and a lot less nerdy in this world, and he will lean up against the fence, just watching her a bit.] Anything?

Ben: [focusing,, but there is nothing he feels, and his spikes don't glow] I'm not getting anything. But it doesn't mean she isn't.

Hal: So there could still be a bug.

Ben: Or not. I didn't feel anything around you, or Lourdes.

Hal: Yeah, no one could tell I had one.

Ben: And we can't keep her locked up just because we don’t know. We'd have to lock everyone up then.

Hal: [sighs, rolling his tongue along the inside of his mouth] Alright, thanks bro. [he will pat Ben on the shoulder and then slide his AK onto his back before going to let Liv out.] Alright you passed, for now.

Olivia: Cool. [and she just snaps the zip ties all on her own, tossing the plastic off to the side, before getting to her feet] What now?

Hal: [and he raises his eyebrows and laughs] You could have done that the entire time, huh?

Olivia: Don't take it personally. I learned how to find the weak points in zip ties when I was six.

Hal: [he just laughs, impressed] Now I show you around and you tell me why you'd think I'd think you're crazy.

Olivia: Fair enough. [she goes to let him lead the way] So is this a you go first or I go first sort of deal?

Hal: I'll go first. [and he will head up the stairs back into the sunlight and aim to take her on the "tour" which is more a here's where we eat, where we sleep, where you go when you need to go, etc]

Olivia: [and that's good enough, and she's mostly silent, just processing the information and making a map in her head]

Hal: [and once they grab some coffee and a packet of stale cookies, they grab a spot by a bonfire] So, that story you were going to share?

Olivia: So ... how do you feel about alternate worlds?

Hal: Sounds like something out of a science fiction novel. But seeing that we're living in an alien apocalypse, I'm pretty open to things like that.

Olivia: Well, I'm from a world where we didn't have an alien apocalypse. We had a zombie one.

Hal: Huh. Not sure if that's better or worse.

Olivia: I haven't been here long, but I'm fairly certain it's pretty shitty all around. [she shrugs] Anyway, I actually jumped ship on that world a while ago and wound up in one with no apocalypse at all, but I was working on this case with my dad and my uncle, and things went a little haywire. There was some kind of ... blowback, and what I think happened is that in the process of the blowback, I got blown here.

Hal: So if you can hop realities, you probably be better off getting out of here before the Espheni hear about that. Otherwise they may want to know how you do it.

Olivia: That's the thing. I can't. Every time I have it's been an accident and I got caught in the crossfire. I'd need help, and given that your world has been blown to hell, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to find it.

Hal: Well, you're pretty handy with that blade. You good with a gun too, Winchester?

Olivia: [nods] Yeah, I can shoot.

Hal: Good. We all earn our way here, and we could use another person on guard duty.

Olivia: Sounds good. [a beat] Do you guys have a lot of contact with other camps?

Hal: Not really. Most people were moved to Brazil awhile back. Those who didn't go, the Espheni have many in death camps. We're pretty much the remnants of three different camps put together.

Olivia: Any other Winchesters lurking around?

Hal: Not any that I've met.

Olivia: What about Summers? They might have been around California?

Hal: [shakes his head] Most of us are from Boston or Charelston. No one from that far west

Olivia: Fair enough. Figured it was worth asking.

Hal: You think you might have something like family out that way?

Olivia: Or doppelgangers of them. Knowing my folks, depending on how things went in this world, you either would have heard of them, or they went out in a big ol' blaze of glory trying to kill these asshats.

Hal: Most of the military got taken out early, so you can hypothesize from there.

Man: Hal, sorry to interrupt, we need you for a sec.

Hal: Yeah, I'll be right there. [looks at Olivia and hands her the rest of the cookies] Duty calls.

Olivia: [takes them and nods] No worries. I'll be here.

Hal: [and he will get up and go off to the side where a few of the soldiers are waiting. He'll lean over a map with them, and it'll be very obvious that he's in charge telling people what to do]

Olivia: [which is nice, but she'll just kick her feet up on a spare chair and enjoy her cookies. she's totally not paying attention and making note of each of the faces]

Hal: [and somewhere along the way along comes Tom Mason, putting his hand on Hal's shoulder as he leans over to see the plan, and then offering a few suggestions]

Olivia: [and she manages to keep her face neutral, or at least tries to, but that's three Masons down, two to go]

Hal: [and he will come back when the guards go off, his dad in tow] Liv, this is my dad, Tom.

Tom: Nice to meet you, Liv. Hal says he found you wandering around just off the perimeter.

Olivia: [nods as she straightens up a bit] Yeah, I guess. I'm still learning my way around.

Tom: Well, supplies are scarce, but there's always room for one more.

Olivia: Don't worry. I don't need much. I'll try not to weigh you down too much.

Tom: I doubt you will. I'll see you both later though. [and he will be going off to meet up with Anne, sliding an arm around her waist as they head off together]

Olivia: [and that catches her off guard, and one hand falters with the cookie, before she shakes it off]

Hal: Something wrong?

Olivia: No. Just ... he's not what I expected.

Hal: What were you expecting?

Olivia: A dick? [look, she's used to the leader of the pack being Dean Winchester, but it's also a total lie]

Hal: [laughs] Oh, don't let the professor look fool you. My dad can be a cold-blooded bastard when he has to be. We all have to be.

Olivia: Yeah, I know that tune. [she swings her feet off the chair and gets to her feet] You do what you have to do to survive.

Hal: Pretty much. [and he will look up at her] Going somewhere?

Olivia: You want me on guard duty, right? Figure I should start guarding.

Hal: [laughs] Alright, west gate could use an extra hand. Tell them they can come to me if they got questions.

Olivia: Will do. Where do I get armed up?

Hal: Come on, I'll show you. [and he will take her to the armory]

Olivia: [and she will arm up and go take up the post on the west gate, as requested]

Matt: [where the littlest of Masons is one of the guards.]

Olivia: [smirks a bit when she sees him before making her way closer] Hey. Feel like showing the new girl in town the ropes?

Matt: [looks and see her. Ben told him there was a new girl in camp] You're the girl my brother found while on patrol?

Olivia: That's me. [she shifts and holds out a hand] I'm Liv.

Matt: I'm Matt. [takes her hand, and he will give her the layout and situation]

Olivia: [and she will take it all in, making note of the points to cover and just letting her eyes scan over the area] You guys run into a lot of trouble?

Matt: Only if we're not careful. If we stand out too much, the skitters will find us, and the mechs won't be far behind.

Olivia: Skitters I'm guessing are the things that actually skitter - what are mechs?

Matt: Pretty much mechanical robots that look juiced and have guns for arms.

Olivia: ... Fun.

Matt: So far it's been quiet and boring.

Olivia: Well, quiet and boring is always better than murder and death.

Matt: Yeah, that's true. So you get separated from your family?

Olivia: Yeah, unfortunately.

Matt: You could probably talk to my dad and see if they can fix up a vehicle for you to use to get back to them?

Olivia: It's not that simple for me. So I'm kinda stuck for the time being.

Matt: Oh. Well, it's not that bad here.

Olivia: No, it's not. The people seem pretty cool.

Matt: And if you're really looking for a fight, we can pull out the Monopoly game.

Olivia: Oh, you don't want to take me in Monopoly. I play hard and take no prisoners.

Matt: You sound like the rest of my family.

Olivia: Oh yeah?

Matt: Yeah. One time, Mom had to send Hal and Ben to separate corners over who was going to buy the last hotel.

Olivia: [she laughs] Yeah, that sounds like my house too. Me, my brother and my cousin get real competitive.

Matt: Who usually wins?

Olivia: By the time we're actually reaching the end, we're usually pretty drunk so ... hard to say.

Matt: Well, I always win, so you don't stand a chance.

Olivia: Guess we'll have to see.

Matt: Guess so.

Hal: [and the guard shift will pass without incident and Hal will come over and ruffle his brother's hair as Matt starts back for breakfast] Well, you survived the night. He talk your ear off?

Olivia: Eh, it wasn't so bad. He kind of threw down the gauntlet for Monopoly though.

Hal: Wow, he's really itching for new blood to spill. [laughing] Come on, I'll treat you to breakfast.

Olivia: Sounds good. [and she'll follow him to the food]

Hal: [and they will get a nice breakfast of coffee, grits, and apples] This is actually going to be my dinner. I'm gonna grab a few hours of shuteye after this.

Olivia: Guess that's what's happen when you work all night.

Hal: Yup, shift work syndrome. If you want to grab a few yourself, one of the girls can show you where they crash.

Olivia: Probably a good idea. I don't think being unconscious counts as actual sleep.

Hal: [he'd invite her to join him, but they did just meet half a day ago] Guess I'll see you later then, Liv.

Olivia: [it's a good thing though, she'd probably turn him down.] Yeah. See you later.

Hal: [and he will go off to do that, curling up in his hammock after Anne stops him to look over all his injuries and clean out his face scratches because you may be 23 but you're her stepson and I'm your nurse as well deal.]

Olivia: [and she will go find a bed to crash in and pass out pretty much as soon as her head hits the pillow]

Hal: [and later when she finds him at a late lunch, he will be working on changing his own arm bandage that got wet while he was in the shower. There's an ugly, jagged knife cut along his arm that thankfully isn't infected but still looks nasty]

Olivia: [and she frowns a bit before making her way closer] Need a hand?

Hal: [and he will look up and give her a smirk] Maybe once I'm done cleaning it. If I don't change the bandage every few hours, Anne gets hovery and I don't need her trying to convince me to take it easy.

Olivia: Because she might be right? [teasing]

Hal: Probably. But taking things easy isn't my thing.

Olivia: Not really a Winchester thing either, but you can't change a bandage with one hand.

Hal: [huffs, and then looks up at her from a smirking, tilted face] So you Winchesters also have field medic experience in that zombie apocalypse?

Olivia: Someone had to patch my idiot cousin up. [and she'll take that as a yes, before she goes to sit and take over] As long as it didn't come from a Croat, we patched it up.

Hal: [and he will watch her] We don't have to worry about that kind of problem. If the aliens want to take control of us, they use these things. We call them bugs. They slip into your body and attach up in your brain. They can take partial control where you do things and have full consciousness of it, or they just take over and you're out for like, a week and have no idea what happened. Sometimes they do it just to spy on us, sometimes to cause damage.

Olivia: Croats are pretty obvious. And it's not like ... they're trying to eat your brain or anything. I think a doctor that examined one once said that it's a virus that just goes for the fear and anger centers of the brain? And turns everyone into a violent rage machine. They either kill you or they turn you.

Hal: Guess it's a good thing then that they never caught you.

Olivia: No they did not. [ and she's sorta immune as her father's daughter, but that's not relevant. she finishes up the bandaging and lets his arm go] Done.

Hal: [and he looks at it, impressed] Good job. Be careful, Anne may recruit you to work in the medical tent with her.

Olivia: Oh, I'd get bored way too fast. So long as my secret is safe with you.

Hal: Lips are sealed.

Olivia: Good.

Hal: So, how good are you at hunting?

Olivia: Animals or skitters?

Hal: The first, since you just met the second a day ago.

Olivia: Pretty good. Why?

Hal: Got hungry folks to feed. I was going to head out and check on a few traps, see if I might find some rabbits or if I'm lucky a deer. Wanna come with?

Olivia: Sure. You got a crossbow?

Hal: I think I can scrounge one up.

Olivia: Good. We should probably keep the bullets out of our food.

Hal: It hasn't killed us yet. [and he will sling the gun over his shoulder and head over tothe armory sothey can find her a bow]

Olivia: [well, lead is a slow thing. also it's quieter but whatever. she gets her crossbow and off they go to the woods]

Hal: [and hey, he's got two rabbits in his traps so that's easy to take care of] So I was thinking about your problem last night, and I think I might have a solution.

Olivia: What's that?

Hal: We can scout out, see if we can find a working vehicle. Bring it back, get it running and fitted so that the mechs can't pick it up, and you can head out and find your people here. You'll have to scavenge for gas on the way, but at least it gets you there.

Olivia: Is there any way you can find out if they're actually out there?

Hal: Not really. I mean, I can ask Cochese when he's here next if he's heard of any of them in his travels.

Olivia: I'd rather not drive out there blind and alone. Not really good for my survival odds.

Hal: Then we'll see what Cochese says first.

Olivia: [she nods] Thank you, though. For the help.

Hal: Hey, no problem. I mean, my brothers - both of them - have gone missing on us at some point and it drove my dad crazy trying to find them and worrying about them. I'd hate to think what your family's going through back where you're from.

Olivia: You and me both. We are not the most stable bunch.

Hal: Same. Mom was the one who kept us from trying to kill each other half the time.

Olivia: [nods then, curiously] Was that the woman with your dad yesterday?

Hal: Who, Anne? She is now.

Olivia: [head tips, confused, before her face softens and she's a bit sad. she likes Rebecca, and is not happy to hear she's dead] Oh.

Hal: [sees that and takes a deep breath, then a brave smirk because he had to stop letting it hurt a long time ago.] Yeah, but we've all lost someone.

Olivia: [ swallows hard and nods] I remember when I lost my mom. I was not okay for a long time.

Hal: Yeah, it was a bad day all around. We lost Mom, Ben went missing, and Dad's trying to take care of me and Matt and keep us safe.

Olivia: My mom was the last one we lost. We lost my dad when I was a baby, and my uncle when I was six, then my mom when I was ten. After that it was just me, my cousin and my brother.

Hal: Mom was about seven years ago now? And last year we lost my little sister Lexi.

Olivia: I'm sorry.

Hal: I'm sorry to hear about yours too.

Olivia: [she nods, then her eyes come up as she spots moving through the trees. The crossbow comes up, she shoots fast, and a deer drops not too far from them.]

Hal: [he saw her shift and he tracked with her and had his gun up, finger on the trigger until he sees the deer go down.] Good eyes.

Olivia: Thanks. Though back home it was either a Croat or food so we shot first, asked questions later.

Hal: Yeah, I get it. Sounds like the normal world you moved on to is a paradise compared to there.

Olivia: In a lot of ways it is. My folks are alive, we have a home ... it's good. [she's not going to mention her boyfriend, because that's where it has the potential to get weird]

Hal: [well, it's about to get a bit weirder] I wonder if I exist in that world of yours.

Olivia: [and that's when her face will get awkward and she tries to figure out how to respond to that. let's focus on the deer they're hauling back for a minute]

Hal: What, you don't think it's possible?

Olivia: Didn't say that.

Hal: I just think it'd be nice to think somewhere out there, we got a normal life. Go off to college or the air force... have Mom see us all grow up.

Olivia: [she weighs her response for a long time before:] ... Play lacrosse?

Hal: [blinks, and looks over at her] I didn't tell you I played lacrosse.

Olivia: Not you you. [tries to haul up the deer so she can lift it] Different you.

Hal: [and he will go to help her because deer are heavy] So I do exist in that other world, and you know me. Why didn't you tell me that?

Olivia: Because I didn't want to come off like a psycho. Just because you know me there doesn't mean it's going to go the same way here.

Hal: Yeah, well I'm certain I'd remember a girl like you here. [but of course he might be worried this is all a trick. Karen's dead, but that doesn't mean someone else might not try and fuck with him to get to his dad again]

Olivia: I'm not even sure I exist here. [there's a bit of a bitter laugh there as she shakes her head] My mom ... there's this thing she goes through. She doesn't always make it out the other side. So even if my parents met, she could have died long before your alien friends showed up.

Hal: [nods] I think I get it. [and he will work with her on carrying the deer back] Maybe that's why you're here in North Carolina.

Olivia: Because it took me to the nearest thing I knew?

Hal: Something like that.

Olivia: [swallows hard] Doesn't exactly leave great odds for me finding my folks.

Hal: Probably not. Unless they're in Brazil and I'm just the closest.

Olivia: [deep breath, and for a moment she does look a little scared because she doesn't know how she's going to get out of this] Guess we'll just have to see.

Hal: Hey, Liv? You got this, and I'm not going to just leave you behind. Alright?

Olivia: [she looks up at him, and it means a lot more than she realizes. So she just nods, and swallows the fear down] Yeah, alright.

Hal: Now come on, this deer isn't going to walk itself anymore and we have hungry people to feed. [giving her something to focus on is what he would have needed]

Olivia: [nods and off they head back to the kitchen so they can clean it and cook it]

Hal: [and everyone is happy for meat and thanks Olivia. Of course, there is a blonde who is watching both Liv and Hal from a distance with a stone face]

Olivia: [and she ignores it for the most part, because whatever girls are weird]

Hal: [well, he notices Maggie's look and he sighs because they are still broken up and he's conflicted still] I'm going to take a walk before turning in for the night. You be okay?

Olivia: Yeah, sure. I'll see you tomorrow.

Hal: [and he will grab his gun and head off for a walk on his own as Ben goes over to talk to the other blonde and they head off together]

Olivia: [and Olivia is just gonna go to bed because okay, you all can keep being weird, she's going to sleep.]

Hal: [and he will probably go and pull a night guard shift and get no actual sleep]

Olivia: [that sounds healthy]

Hal: [didn't say he had good coping mechanisms. He'll end up dragging himself back before breakfast and at that point aim to crash on his cot]

Olivia: [good boy. and she'll just keep pulling her weight until some kind of news breaks]