A/N
Guess who decided to finally make an appearance after a month of not posting anything? Yep, it's...yours truly.
My incompetence on my updating schedule has been the bane of my existence, although I'm pinning to be more active so I can give all you wonderful people the rest of this story by the end of the year :p
I hope you enjoy this reboot!
P.S. A good friend of mine made the sketch of the aliens (posted up above); I have to say they're exactly what I imagined 😁
~~~~~
Estella had never been more grateful for the odd extents her violet chemical-changing factor offered, although admittedly, there could have been less awkward ways to take the impact of falling from the sky. Slithering like a gelatinous, boneless boa down a rugged beech came with an uncomfortable prickly sensation almost everywhere on her body, but it was a better alternative to the numerous white scratches Alycs suffered.
The older teen glanced over at Estella when she reformed, giving her state a quick once-over before nodding. "We've got to get going." Promptly, he turned on his heel and walked off.
"To where?" Estella asked.
"To catch someone before their Decathlon starts!" Alycs called back, his long, loping strides forcing Estella to jog to catch up.
The decathlon was held in a large, granite building with smooth stone steps and decorative stained-glass windows - a wealthy high school, that was for sure. A pearly overhang supported by two decorative pillars loomed over the short staircase to the entrance, a wide blue banner reading 'USAD Academic Decathlon' hanging neatly between them. The interior was just as grand, whilst littered with countless volunteers in fleecy blue vests. It was both an overwhelming and claustrophobic experience for the younger of the two teens as they navigated through the crowds, stopping only to ask for directions from an information booth.
Their efforts to be quick were in vain, however, as they were met with a bored-looking brunette blocking the entrance to the theatre, where the competition was being held. A sign reading 'Now Competing - Brooklyn High VS Midtown High' stood importantly by her side, the time frame scrawled on with a whiteboard marker. Estella deduced the guy they were looking for was in one of the two schools by Alycs' sound of disappointment.
"Five bucks a person for visitor entry." She intoned, staring at her phone. "Next round will be in thirty minutes."
"I suppose we should go and grab lunch, then." Alycs responded, turning away dispiritedly. "Come on, Stel, let's go find a place to eat."
They made it as far as the information desk before Estella's knees suddenly buckled, and had Alycs not been at her side, she would've face-planted into a shoe. Her face was changing into a translucent mauve, and it seemed even in the mere seconds that passed, she was growing fainter and fainter; like a waterlogged battery in a flashlight. Pushing aside his questions, Alycs placed a hand on her shoulder, guiding them away from the crowd and pulling her aside.
"Deep breaths - concentrate on me." He watched as Estella took a steadying breath, her skin slowly beginning to regain a humane, peachy hue. Traces of violet were still laced through her skin, working into her eyes and hollowing her cheeks.
"Let's find you a place to sit, ok?" Estella nodded slowly, following Alycs wordlessly as he navigated through the halls, pausing at random intervals to peek into different rooms. Finally, they arrived at a large set of double doors labelled 'Study Hall' and after Alycs' word of approval, they entered.
A spacious area decorated by tall, stained glass windows, stylish balconies and complemented with high, arched ceilings resided on the other side of the doors; a line of picnic-style tables laid out in a single, neat column all the way down the hall.
The pair of teens wandered among the tables, admiring the decor, before Estella took a seat on the edge of a wooden bench.
"You alright with sandwiches?" Alycs asked, watching her. After the nod of confirmation, he added, "I'll be right back, ok?"
Another nod, and he was gone.
---
For the first few minutes, Estella sat, unmoving. Her acute claustrophobic episode had felt like both a blessing and a curse, but there was one thing she knew was certain: it wasn't natural. As in...normal people weren't supposed to do that. Or...were they?
Alone in the wide, although beautiful, pristine hallway, she felt a little on edge. The area had an ominous echo about it, so that if she closed her eyes and concentrated, she swore she could hear voices.
"...I can detect her, S'aman'dr."
Salamander? Estella clenched her eyes shut, before opening them again. She trained her ears towards the source of the noise, trying to convince herself the voices were non-existent - even though they seemed to be getting clearer and clearer the harder she tried.
"Is she an oddity?"
"A little small, she is..."
The last phrase sounded so close, as if it was whispered in her ear, and Estella immediately leapt to her feet, flaring bright purple. "Who's there?!"
The air in front of her rippled like a curtain drawn back, and from it, three deformed grey creatures dressed in skin-tight blue fabric stepped out. The tallest regarded her with a somewhat haughty look, to which she subconsciously matched by rising several inches from the ground. The smallest greeted her with a cheerful wave.
"From which planet do you originate, Flying Grape Jelly?"
Estella blinked, her stance in the air still guarded and untrustworthy. Maybe this was a skit - some of the Decathlon exhibitionists, perhaps? "Were you the one asking..."
"We are to go for the 'oddities, as they are unattended the most'." The little alien answered, as if reading her mind. Despite their friendly demeanour, the twinkle of sharp, plaque-covered canines in their mouth spoke otherwise. Estella briefly wondered how the implants were possible, as the alien continued to talk enthusiastically. "Which I do not understand - surely, the oddities are treasured tremendously -"
The tallest grasped the lapel of the dwarf alien, speech slurred with an angry warble that reminded Estella of a ticklish pigeon.
"Do not speak against the principal! These are his rules, and we are to only follow them without question."
Estella tilted her head in confusion. "Doesn't that get..."
"Boring?" The little alien supplied eagerly. "Yes, infinitely. S'aman'dr, I like this lady-of-small-proportions very much."
"I'm-" Estella started, feeling slightly offended at the euphemized title for a small person, but the third alien interrupted with a growl.
"We were promised a big ssssupply of exssssss, not thisss -" the alien raked their eyes over Estella's hoodie for effect "- diminutive sssupply."
What was it with these actors insulting my height?
"The remote brought us here - a single, isolated supply of exs; for quick and easy capture-" the little alien began to refute.
The taller alien recoiled, and if they could change colour through their makeup, they would have been flushed at the cheeks. "I never ssssaid anything about needing an easssy!"
"Pae'zorayiles! We are here to capture, not bicker!" The tallest of the three hissed at their companions, who, in turn, ignored them.
S'aman'dr tittered in frustration, ready to yell again, but froze suddenly, as did the other two aliens. For a split second, their pupils shrank and dilated in unison - then, just like that, any bit of humane character was replaced by an almost animalistic front as their eyes glossed over, teeth clicking in a metronome-like fashion.
These actors are definitely not natural, Estella thought to herself, blinking at the display. No, correction - they're almost too natural...
The three aliens began to advance towards Estella; unsheathed claws displaying rough, dappled barbs. The girl's cheeks still displayed some remnant of a bemused smile, although it quickly faded as the little alien swiped at her.
"Wait, what did I do?" Estella yelped, shocked back to reality as the thick, flaking claws passed harmlessly through her chest.
Right.
She was prone to claustrophobic breakdowns. She melted spontaneously. A pirate kept her locked in a chamber to destroy things. Her only friend could teleport.
In her case, it shouldn't have struck her as surprising that the alien-actors... were, perhaps, actual aliens.
---
Estella hardly knew how to throw a punch. A kick would be just as futile, if not worse, for as she attempted to shove the closest alien away they simply grabbed her shoe and flung her against a wall.
She almost fell through it.
But with some odd, intuitive feeling, she stopped herself partway through the concrete bricks, a hero's plan in mind. The aliens could go outside, where other people were. Where volunteers in fleecy blue vests milled around, where Alycs' friend competed in competitive trivia, where concerned parents awaited news of their children's success and didn't have the option of becoming grape jelly to escape predicaments such as hers.
She would have to fight this.
Estella took a deep breath, her voice coming out as a croak before she cleared her throat. "Hey sardine-skin, I'm still here!" She announced boldly, catching the attention of the three before they scouted further into the room. She vaguely recalled Tony's claim of her invisibility to FRIDAY, and wondered if the same glitch applied to alien-tech. Maybe their actual target was further in the room, in the form of an old custodian or a baby pigeon - either way, they were defenceless, and Estella wasn't about to let them be hurt on her account if she could help it.
S'aman'dr stalked over, being the only one tall enough to reach Estella, and ripped her knee from the wall. To her surprise, her entire leg detached with a disturbing plopping sound, and she dropped unceremoniously from the wall.
Wincing, she raised her head to find herself surrounded by the three aliens. Willing her body to stay in its gelatinous state, she fixed her gaze on her appendage robber and glared. "Okay, you got me, so can I have my leg back now?"
They spat at her in way of response, the spittle changing colour in the air from a dark slime to a clear goop. The aliens suddenly went silent as the goop landed harmlessly on her remaining leg, their hungry grins melting into confused stares as the liquid continued to change. Looking down, Estella realized with a start that she was the cause of the transformation - at least, her purpleness was.
Taking advantage of the aliens' sudden hesitation, she concentrated, willing her detached toes to flick - one, two, three, four, five times - before seizing control of her entire leg, snapping the flat of her foot against S'aman'dr's jaw. The appendage slipped through the alien's grasp, before wriggling to life again, and pouncing towards the other two aliens.
Estella flopped out of the way as the middle alien went toppling over the tall alien's outstretched legs, and subsequently, they began to melt into the larger's form, like fire on foam. She grimaced at the sight it left behind - literally, half the alien they had once been - before she heard a screech behind her and ducked on instinct. The little alien was now at the melted alien's side, clicking in confusion, and unconsciously, Estella's hands flared violet again.
A nudge at her hip reminded her of her missing leg, and Estella quickly wriggled over in an attempt to reconnect the appendage. A shadow fell over the teen, obscuring her form, and in her peripheral vision, she could see the claws coming for her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the impact - but it never came. Her eyes opened.
S'aman'dr was an odd sight from a snail's eye view, coupled with the fact they were now twitching with blue lines of light arcing across their body. Her own body seemed to have sunken into the floor to dodge the attack, yet - it was like looking through a thin film of wobbly slime as herself, rather than from a shrunken perspective. She could still see the vile look in their eyes, some mix between hunger and hatred that she couldn't quite understand, and although their injuries were gone, the little alien had disappeared. It was clear the alien still had fight in them, meaning they were still dangerous - a threat to the people outside.
In her amoeba form, Estella slowly drew her aching body up behind the alien, trying her best to mimic the epitome of a karate master. She was almost certain her eyes were crossed from concentration, yet, she forced herself to channel her power towards the small of the alien's back. Flashing white spots appeared before her eyes. The electricity on the alien was now subsiding, and they began to arch forward, snarling.
"Hey!" She called out, her voice cracking awkwardly with the single syllable. Squaring herself, she raised her fists to her ears as S'aman'dr turned around.
Drawing her hand back, Estella aimed, eyes narrowing, fists tightening into her palms, hip bones swivelling and shoulder snapping across her body as her knuckles collided with the alien before her. A soundless shriek escaped their lips, cracks spreading from their cheek, before bursting into a thousand fragments of glass scattered across the floor. A clear puddle of liquid began to spread on the floor, flowing freely around the pieces that once acted as its container.
Then the door creaked open, and Alycs walked in, sandwiches in hand, before his eyes fell on the mess around Estella and he gave her a look.
It seemed she would have some explaining to do.
Rebooted 4/24/2019