3rd Person POV
= Spaceship, Space =
The spaceship falls out of the sky and hits the surface of an alien planet. Hard. Brooklyn, Sara, and Gary groan
"Are you...are you two okay?" Gary asks, standing up
"We just crash landed on an alien spaceship. No, Gary, we are not okay." Sara tells him
The alien AI says something. "Oh, boy, that's not good." Gary says
"What did Alien Gideon say?" Sara asks
Uh, it's a little hard to translate exactly since in my language there are over 70 ways to say 'explode from the inside'." Gary says. "The general idea is we, uh, lost all our fuel when we crashed."
"Whoa." Sara says, looking out the window. "Where are we?"
"Uh, we were on course to land on Pliny X-19, but Kayla didn't give me any other details." Gary says
"Well, I thought she was supposed to be your fiancée." Sara says
"Ex-fiancée, and, um, communication wasn't our strong suit, uh, but I do know that we were hired by some power hungry space lord to gather the universe's most dangerous creatures, and now we're on his planet." Gary says
"Perfect." Brooklyn mumbles under her breath
"It could be Hunger Games out there." Gary poses and upon Brooklyn's confused look, he looks at Sara. "She's never read Hunger Games?"
"It wasn't my top priority when I first got to this country." Brooklyn snarks, crossing her arms
"It's bad." Gary says simply. "It could be really bad...the air could be poisonous gas."
"Okay, we just... we need to find something that can fuel this ship so we can get back home." Sara says
"Or what if we send out a distress signal and then wait for the Legends to come find us?" Gary suggests
"Oh, so now you wanna put the rest of my team in danger?" Brooklyn questions Gary. "I don't think so."
"Well, uh, good news... I've got my deck of strong American women playing cards." Gary says. "Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Dolores Huerta, Representative Shirley Chisholm."
"Of all the people to be stuck with..." Sara whispers
"Yeah, for real." Brooklyn mutters
Barking is heard outside. "What is... what is that?" Sara asks, walking over to the window and seeing a dog
"Dog?" Gary says. "A really cute dog."
"Three moons." Sara says, looking at the skyline. "Three moons, yeah, I can get behind that, but a dog, that's weird." She says, looking back at Brooklyn. "Any ideas, super brain?"
"Just one." Brooklyn says, uncrossing her arms and putting her hand up to the window. "If that dog can breathe...that means we can breathe." She says, looking at Sara
"And it's wearing a scarf!" Gary exclaims, looking at the dog. "Okay, Gary, resist the cuteness. You've been fooled by dogs before." Sara turns on her heel and walks out of the control room with Brooklyn right behind her. "Where are you going?" Gary asks
"We're gonna follow that dog." Sara says
***
= Alien Planet, Space =
Sara, Gary, and Brooklyn trek across the alien planet, the surface rough and purple. But the dog was no longer around (which was both good news and bad news for Brooklyn – good news because of her fear of dogs and bad cause then they would have no leads)
"Don't you have any alien super powers that can find a dog?" Sara asks Gary, looking around. "Super smell or echolocation?"
"I'm not that kind of alien." Gary says. "I'm not that different from you, really. Carbon based, a few more tentacles."
"Yeah, and you eat people." Brooklyn says, poking Gary with the pole that she had yet to let go of
"Can you stop it with the pole?" Gary questions
"No." Brooklyn tells him. "My pole." She says. "Explain."
"I come from a savage planet." Gary explains, looking between the girls. "They killed for sport, ate their own. The concept of oral hygiene was completely unknown. And I wasn't so much engaged to Kayla as traded to her, and then I was sent to Earth to find you. Never imagined a place like that could exist. Birthday parties. Rose water. Friends."
"Friends." Sara scoffs. "We've known you for three years, and I'm only now learning you're an alien."
"Well, I took some creative license with the details, you know, so I could fit in just like Charlie." Gary says
"Why me?" Sara asks
"My guess, whoever's behind all this has a thing for powerful women too." Gary says
"Lucky us." Brooklyn grumbles
And then, they hear a dog whimpering. They look to the side and the dog is holding a massive bone in his mouth. "Do we wanna know where that came from?" Gary asks. The dog turns and runs
Brooklyn turns to look at Sara. "My guess is we're following that?" She questions
"You bet." Sara says, moving in the direction the dog just ran
Brooklyn rushes to catch up with Gary close behind. "That thing just had a bone in its mouth." Brooklyn reminds
"It's a dog." Sara says, quickly making her way over the rough terrain and trying to keep the dog in sight. "They chew on bones all the time."
"That bone was massive." Brooklyn says
Sara pushes through a bush
"Careful, careful." Gary tells her. "On my planet, there are plants that can literally liquify you."
"Of course." Brooklyn mutters
"Also ones that can sing, which I guess is besides the point, but..." Gary trails off
"Gary, what did I say about talking?" Sara asks
"Uh, well, I believe your precise word was 'don't', but, uh, I sensed nuance in your tone." Gary says
The trio makes their way over the top of a hill and see a hut where the dog had run. "Huh. I guess Brooke and I are not the only intelligent life forms on this planet." Sara says, starting for the house
"Wait, wait, wait. We don't know what's in there." Gary tries. "It could be a priblintz, which is kind of like a half-jaguar, half-snake thing or an apteroc, which is also half-jaguar, half-snake, but opposite parts."
"Hey." Brooklyn says, poking Gary with the pole. "Shut up."
"Will you stop poking me?" Gary asks
"No." Brooklyn tells him, poking him again
"Gary, it's not like we haven't faced aliens before." Sara says
A woman runs out of the hut with a spear, ready to throw. "Who the blazes are you?" She asks
"Right back at you." Sara says. "Wait, are you human?"
"Not just any human." Gary says, looking at the woman. "It's the queen of diamonds... Amelia Earhart. Big fan."
***
"I still don't understand. How did you end up here?" Sara asks as Amelia Earhart makes food for the trio
"Well, Earhart's interest in flying began with a visit to the Canadian National Exhibition." Gary explains. "Sorry, it's a fun fact."
"Wish I had an answer for you." Amelia Earhart says. "Last thing I remember, I was soaring over the Pacific. Me and my navigator Fred almost done our flight around the globe. It was mission accomplished. Then the left engine started sputtering, the Canary bucked, and I hit my head hard and blacked out. When I woke up, Fred was gone, and I was here."
"And where is here?" Sara asks
"I thought it was heaven or something, but to tell you the truth, I still don't know where we are exactly." Amelia Earhart says. "On the bright side, the food's good."
"Hey, listen, I'm trying to repair my aircraft. Maybe you can take a look at it. It needs a fuel source."
"An aircraft?" Amelia Earhart questions. "But that means that you can take me home."
"Oh, well, yeah. I mean, I guess. Why not? Let's do it. Let's go." Sara says, turning to leave
"First let me serve you." Amelia Earhart says, grabbing Sara's arm and stopping her. "Why let this meal go to waste? It's been so long since I've had any guests."
Sara looks back at Brooklyn, the two having a silent conversation through their eyes. "Uh, yeah. Sure, okay." Sara says
"Hot dog!" Amelia Earhart exclaims, placing bowls down in front of the trio. "I've been frightfully lonesome since I've been here. You two are lucky to have each other."
***
= Waverider, Earth =
"Double fisting... I like your style." Spooner says, walking into the parlor where Ava has two glasses of alcohol poured
"Oh, I... Poured it for Sara." Ava says with a small sad laugh. "It's just habit. Hey, shouldn't let it go to waste." She says, offering the drink to Spooner
"I'm sorry I couldn't help you find your lady." Spooner says
"Oh, no, Ava Sharpe does not give up that easily." Ava says. "Listen, I owe you an apology. I was so desperate for this alien to be the answer to all my prayers that I didn't even think about how you'd be feeling about any of it."
"Nah, I get it." Spooner says. "You know, Sara's a lucky woman."
"Thanks." Ava whispers. "You know... I know what it's like to have people mess with you, and it doesn't make you crazy. Just makes you vigilant. So what happened to you when you were a kid?"
"Look, I don't really talk about..." Spooner whispers. But then she looks at Ava and decides otherwise. "My mom. I don't know where they took us or what they did to us, but when I woke up, she was gone."
"Maybe she's..." Ava tries
"I had to stop thinking that way." Spooner says, tears in her voice. "No, hoping like that for that long, I mean, that can drive you crazy. Instead I... I gave up everything preparing for the moment I'd get to blow one of those things away, you know, but now that I've done it... I thought I'd feel something more. Now instead I just got nothing left."
"I mean, you've got us." Ava says
"You mean..." Spooner says
"If you'll stay." Ava says
"You want me to stay?" Spooner asks. "I almost killed a furry in the freezer."
Ava lets out a small laugh. "We need to adjust some of your tactics a little, but..." She says
"This thing in my head, I don't know how to control it." Spooner says
"Well, we can help you learn." Ava says. "This isn't the end for either of us, so..."
"Yeah. You're right." Spooner says. "It isn't over. There are still more aliens out there."
"Exactly." Ava says
"You can still find your girlfriend." Spooner says
"Oh, I know we will." Ava says
"And that I just didn't shoot enough of 'em." Spooner says
"Wha... um, wait, wait, wait, that's..." Ava stammers
"All right, I'm in." Spooner says. "We're gonna keep killing aliens until you find Sara and I get some closure."
"Yeah, that's not what...Actually, that sounds like a perfect plan." Ava says, her and Spooner shaking hands
And just then, Nate rushes in with Maddie who is sobbing. The toddler's face is beat red, her eyes puffy, and her skin very warm
"I...I've been trying to calm her down." Nate tells Ava, his eyes pricked with tears of their own because he feels as if he's failing Brooklyn
Maddie lets out another sob, this sob coming with a string of words
"That's not English." Spooner notes. "Or Spanish, for that matter. And that's all the languages I got." She says, looking at Ava
"She speaks Russian." Ava says, pulling Maddie over to her to try and calm her down. "I know, baby, I know." She whispers to Maddie, holding her close to her chest
"English speaking crew...Russian baby..." Spooner says, looking between Nate, Ava, and the baby
Nate and Ava share a look before Ava gives in. "Her mother – Brooklyn – she's...she's Russian." Ava explains simply
"So, y'all have a baby Legend..." Spooner says with a smile, looking at Maddie who is still crying in Ava's arms. "Wait, who's the dad?" She asks, looking over at Nate
"Not me." Nate says
"Have you been able to contact Jax?" Ava asks
"Not yet." Nate says. "I'm gonna have Gideon track him down and then get the jumpship to him as soon as possible." He says to which Ava nods
"Good." Ava says, bouncing Maddie up and down who is now sniffling but still very upset. "Because she won't calm down until Jax or Brooke is back and...I have no clue when Brooke is getting back..." She trails off in a whisper
"I'll keep trying." Nate says
"Thank you." Ava whispers
***
= Alien Planet, Space =
"Fearless flyer, fashion icon, and a great hostess." Gary whispers to Sara and Brooklyn. "I mean, is there anything she can't do?"
"Yeah, and the stew was good." Sara whispers
"Yes." Gary says
"Hope you like your coffee straight." Amelia Earhart says, bringing over three cups for the trio
"You have really made a home for yourself here." Sara says. "I mean, how did you get through those first few nights?"
"Wish I had an answer for you." Amelia Earhart says. "Last thing I remember, I was soaring over the Pacific." Brooklyn turns her head in confusion, knowing that they have already heard this. "Me and my navigator Fred were almost done our flight around the globe." And now, she was sure they'd already heard this. Brooklyn nudges Sara with her elbow, nodding at Amelia Earhart. "It was mission accomplished."
"Are... are you feeling okay?" Sara questions
"Wish I had an answer for you. Last thing I remember, I was soaring over the Pacific." Amelia Earhart repeats once again. "Me and my navigator Fred almost done with our flight around the globe. It was mission accomplished. Then the left engine started sputtering..."
"I have a bad feeling about this, and we need to go now." Sara tells the other two in a whisper and the trio gets up
"Where are you going?" Amelia Earhart asks
"We were just heading back to the ship because it's getting dark..." Sara tries
"No!" Amelia Earhart exclaims. "You can't leave me here. I need to go with you." And suddenly, Amelia Earhart speeds over to Brooklyn and Sara, grabbing them in a chokehold. "I need to go home!" She screams and her face transforms into an alien as she screeches. Sara and Brooklyn gasp as Amelia Earhart goes to attack them and then Gary hits Amelia Earhart from behind
"We need to go!" Gary exclaims, pulling the girls out of the hut. The second they are out of the hut, Sara hits the ground in a gasping heap. "I'm sorry." Gary tells the girls, kneeling down to Sara's level. Brooklyn looks around, adrenaline pumping through her body and she bounces on her toes, on edge. "This is all my fault." He says and Sara looks at her arm, infected. "I swear I will do everything in my power to get you home, ideally in time for a spring wedding, Sara. Although with your matching Nordic complexions, a winter wedding would be spectacular."
"Gary... You are not planning my wedding." Sara tells him through a groan of pain. "Though a winter wedding would be beautiful."
"Yeah." Gary whispers
"What is that?" Sara asks, looking off into the distance
"Firefly... to guide us to safety." Gary says. A bunch of lights illuminate in the forest of the alien planet. "I hope..." And with the trio looking off into the distance, Brooklyn absentmindedly winces upon touching her forearm that is hidden underneath the sleeve of her jacket, the girl unaware that she too had been infected...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hope you all enjoyed that chapter! Make sure to vote and comment! Next chapter will be up NEXT FRIDAY
-MC