Chapter 4: Deja Vu?

A/N: So, I decided to browse through the other stories on the site. After reading some of the other ones, I seriously considered stopping this story out of pure lack of quality… but I made a promise, and I intend to keep it. Oh well, guess your writing only gets better when you actually write. I am really hesitant to write this chapter, as I fear I am diving into a cliche wrapped with trope topped off with stereotypical. But… plot progression and conflict beats out logic? Enjoy the chapter anyway :D ! I'll have authors notes at the end, also. Mostly to iron out my schedule and some things I can only reveal after this chapter.

Al was a pretty straightforward guy. He was big, had muscles, and had smart people to tell him who to punch. It wasn't that bad of a life really, he got to pound on little weaklings and watch them squirm, and the smarty smarts resolved their issues. At Least, that how his life HAD been going. That had all went to pegasus dung when his employers asked him to take part in some sort of freezer test run or something. Turned out he woke up in the future, with his only thought being a strong desire to beat the shit out of the people who sent him here. And when he found a severed tentacle running around like a mouse in cage? Well then he really got angry. What he couldn't understand or didn't like, got his fist.

After kicking the thing around for a bit, Al was about to go in for a punch between the eyes, when his right arm lit up like a fucking christmas tree. He had been coughing up the stuff since he got here. Granted, it would pretty cool to intimidate someone by spitting blood-red acid at them, but the stuff had made him feel more than sick. Grumbling about magic government drugs, he paid it no heed until he actually touched the thing. He had seen a bunch of things he couldn't discern if he got it on replay.

After shaking his head to break out of the memory, was about to bring the pain when…

"w- wait!" the creature called out, quivering with fear. Al stared at the thing before pulling it closer, eye to eye. "You better start talkin' real fast." He grumbled.

oo0OO0oo

Izzy was having a pretty decent day for once. The trees were thinking, and the chatter of the wildlife grew dimmer as he reached the border between the forest and whatever lie beyond it. He had stopped hacking up ASL, so he assumed he had fully adjusted now, and to be honest, it felt great. It was as if his entire body got a vacation to a Caribbean hot spring for a year, his joints moved like well oiled machinery, his lungs regulated the air he brought it in greater amounts, and he could lift decent-sized logs out of his way with no problem. He had even accidently grown fangs at one point, and had a strange craving for meat, but both went away before they caused any issue. The only major problem troubling him was his memories. In short, they were still gone, and he hadn't gotten a flashback since that day in the dugout.

Pushing his dark thoughts to the back of his mind, he actually tried to fully enjoy his time today. He hadn't given much thought to where he was going to go, maybe he should try to find the weird squid like creatures he saw earlier. He assumed his lingual capabilities were not limited to dogs only, so if he could get in contact it was possible he could learn the language fairly easily. Stopping for a brief rest, he checked his supplies. He had one can of beans, and a water bottle that was half-empty. He would have to find something to replenish his food and water source soon anyways, so his safest bet was to either hunt and gather, OR find a city, if the natives had evolved enough to the point of them building one. Brushing away the last branch from his face, he found himself staring in awe at the sight before him. A huge metropolis lay out before him, huge buildings that went beyond the clouds gleaming with the sun's' rays. A bridge stretched out across a vast body of water, connecting the metropolis to another smaller, but equally as impressive, city.

Izzy was pretty sure he had never seen something like this is his entire life, he spent most of it at the institute training for whatever he was doing now. He was so mesmerized he almost didn't hear the screeching noises on the track as a train was about to come through the tunnel he was near. Throwing himself back into the thicket he had come from, he peered out from between the cracks and crevices in the branches. The train grinding to a halt, letting out a surprisingly catchy tune before depositing several of the ink creatures onto the loading area. It was hard to see from the other side, but most of them were milling around, on what appeared to be cellular devices.

Perfect, he could wait until nightfall, find a ink creature alone, a HOPEFULLY extract knowledge without harming it. He was already shifting gears in his mind, formulating a perfect plan- hey is that a shirt in front of him? That was there before- OH SHIT SHIT SHIT, INK THING DIRECTLY AHEAD!

oo0OO0oo

"Yeah, real funny James." A blue colored inkling yelled out to his friend, who was giggling furiously. He rolled his eyes, and waited for the train to pass before crossing the track to retrieve his favorite shirt (it was a gift from his… friend girl after all). James had went on without him, probably getting his own bag from the staff. He bent down to pick up the shirt, when a glowing blue hand shot of the bush, directly onto his neck, his yelp of surprise being silenced by the ASL activating.

oo0OO0oo

Izzy was left extremely exhausted by the process, even just tapping into the language had wiped him out!. The memories as a result were rambly and incoherent at best, so he was still left in the dark on how the basics of their culture worked. Aware the unconsciousness of the drain would be very finite, he pulled himself to his feet before retreating along the side of the forest, stopping when he reached a low wall that probably led into an Alleyway. He was tempted to jump it now, but the combination of daylight, his odd clothing, and the exhaustion left him with the thought of sleeping until night. Izzy crawled once more beneath the canopy of the forest, and taking in the strong smells of earth and nature, he simply said "This is the last time." The forest didn't respond, but Izzy knew it would miss him dripping blood all over it. Yawning softly, he pulled out the recorder and recited all that had transpired the past few days. Feeling his eyes closing rapidly, he finished his log and was asleep almost the moment he turned the device off.

A/N: So how was it? I was very tempted to stay away from the troped of there being "an evil version of you with your powers!" so I changed it to a more brains/brawn relationship. And yes, Al's ASL glows red instead of blue, speculate all you want on that. I don't really plan on adding more humans in, but IF I do, they will also probably use variants on ASL. I'm going to REALLY try to get out decent 1k word chapters everyday, but life is life and I may have delays. Sorry in advance if you check tomorrow and nothing is here for you! I've been analyzing my writing, and tried to improve upon certain points during this chapter like detailing, and using a plethora (- :D) of words. Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and remember, reviews are always welcomed (along with maybe a follow or two? ;D)