Chapter 1: Laurie
5 years later
Woods outside New York
Laurie
Now, 5 years had passed since so many living beings turned to dust, leaving half the population of the universe remaining. One of those many people, was Laurie. She was 16 now, leaning by a tree near the artifacts that had been there for 5 years, plants growing around them, the spear having turned into a normal stick again. The wavy-haired brunette was drawing something with a black marker that could very well look straight out of a manga, only much more poor, in her opinion. She did that while humming the song that was playing in her headphones. She didn't bother with friends, really. Any she'd had turned on her, she got bullied, and no one else did anything about it. Hell, she bet they didn't even fucking notice how she was treated. Especially not since she lost her favorite teacher to some oblivious one that only cared about the popular students. Along with her small amount of friends, Laurie's good answers on tests showed themselves out as time went by. Her motivation was pretty much all gone, so of course no one paid attention to her. And, due to certain other problems of hers, she just preferred cutting herself off from society whenever possible. Well, yes, the seizures, but... that wasn't everything now... Soon though, she looked up from her sketchbook, looking at the view of a pond that shimmered with sunlight along with buildings of the city in the background, taking off her headphones to let them rest around her neck. What Thanos had done, had caused a worldwide depression. Even though the sun was still shining, Laurie hardly recognized what the city used to look like before what everyone called 'the blip'. With a deep and silenced sigh, the girl closed her book, put it under her arm along with her pencil case and began walking back to her place.
—--
30 minutes later
Central Park
Laurie
As Laurie was just on her way back home, people around her appeared, a little flash of light from several places of the park and more people were there, looking all confused!
"The actual f...?"
Laurie was about to say, looking around in surprise as everyone else started to panic a little. What the hell was going on?! Wait... W-Was this...? No. It couldn't be people coming back, could it? Out of nowhere? The hell, it almost had to be! And if it was, and not some sick-ass prank people were playing, then that meant... Oh gosh, her cat! Maybe it was back! Back in the apartment! God, had she missed him. Thank god it was only him that had vanished rather than any of her family members, though. Yeah, everyone must be coming back. Noises all around the city increased drastically, cars crashing and beeping and all that stuff. But... how the fuck...?! What?! She was one big question mark right now. Soon, the girl went over in the shade of a band of trees to observe what was happening more, rather than being stuck in the middle of it. Well, unless people would pop up around the place she was taking cover as well.
—--
Woods outside New York
Revna
It was a nice day when Rev woke up. The experience was a... strange one. One moment, she was watching herself vanish, the next she was back as if nothing happened, only it obviously had. The weather was different, plants had grown all around her. At least her spear and backpack were still there. They looked... old, though. What happened? She shook her head. In the distance, the city glimmered. Best check out what happened there. But first... She closed her eyes. A light struck her, blinding her world for a moment. The next, her armor was gone, replaced by jeans, a shirt and jacket. Her spear changed into a normal, wooden walking stick. Now in more normal attire, she headed out for the city.
—--
Central Park
Revna
Revna looked around in a daze. While it had been a while (for her) since she'd been in a city, a lot had changed. Not to mention all the chaos from people appearing out of thin air. That must've been what happened to me too. She ran to a nearby kiosk, checking a newspaper. 2023. 5 years. She'd been gone for 5 years. Her first thoughts went out to her parents. Were they okay? Had they disappeared like her? Or had they lived on without her. Feeling rather overwhelmed, she went to sit on a bench in the shade of some trees, putting her spear next to her.
Laurie
Noticing the black-haired girl sitting on the bench, Laurie figured by her action just now that she was one of the dusted who'd come back. Not that it stood out to her in this current situation, everyone else was freaking out. Soon enough, the brunette felt a seizure coming on. Her eyes widened as she gasped quietly, grabbing into her pocket instantly to swallow some pills with bottled water, before soon hurrying deeper into the dark of the trees.
After about half an hour, Laurie came out from the wall of trees again. Subtly though, she'd gotten used to walking around very quietly when out in public.
Revna
Revna was sitting on the bench, thinking. Suddenly, something came to mind. Huginn! Muninn! The moment she thought about them, the pair appeared, flying down from... somewhere. They landed on her shoulders. Rev stroked their feathers, delighted. In her many lonely months, Huginn and Muninn had been her only companions.
"Did you disappear as well or..."
she whispered to the pair. While Huginn cawed, signaling yes, Muninn stayed silent. She put him on her arm, giving him special attention. For 5 years, he was all alone, waiting for her return.
"Oh, Muninn,"
she muttered.
"You are the best companion anyone could ask for. Thank you so much, my raven."
That happened more and more lately. She used to think about them as 'Odin's ravens', but recently, they were hers. It didn't matter. She was back, reunited with her trusted guides. They talked for a time, simply catching up. 5 years was a long time.
Laurie
Laurie now saw that the girl on the bench was talking to ravens, Weirdo, was all she thought. Out of the things she usually witnessed on the streets of New York, someone talking to ravens wasn't exactly too appealing.
Revna
After a good talk, they just sat there, enjoying each other's company.
"Can one of you fly over to Norway?"
She asked.
"Check on my parents and such?"
She knew the ravens traveled quickly, somehow magical, but didn't know the limits. Immediately, Muninn cawed and flew up. He'd said it wouldn't take more than a day or two, and Rev didn't question it. After a few more minutes, sirens sounded close by. Startled, she grabbed the metal bars of the bench, but quickly realized what she was doing. Frowning, she let go.
"Let's get out of here, Huginn."
She grabbed her stuff and started walking, hoping no one would notice the bend and crushed solid metal bars she'd squeezed.
Laurie
Now this, Laurie noticed. Her eyes widened and she walked over to the bench, seeing the crooked metal. It didn't take long for her to eye back at the girl further ahead, suspiciously, What the hell? she thought. And getting spooked because of a... siren? Laurie had to think to even guess what of the million noises from the city could've caused the reaction, Laurie barely thought of it because she was used to city noise. The 16-year-old touched the ruined armrest, it wasn't aluminum-level metal, this was indeed hard. The black haired girl wasn't too frail, but... Christ. Getting a little more particularly curious, Laurie still took a path home, but one where she stayed pretty regularly and unsuspectedly hidden, following the odd foreigner. It was clear that she wasn't from here.
—--
A few minutes later
Streets of New York
Revna
It was only after a while that Revna noticed something was wrong. Am I... being followed? Muggings weren't exactly rare in a city like this, and with so many people in confusion there would be plenty of easy targets. And I do look like an easy target, she thought, looking down at herself. A young woman, all alone and probably new in the city. Well, they can try. Sending up Huginn to confirm her suspicions and identify the closest suspect, she moved over to a dark alleyway.
Laurie
Laurie kept eyes on the foreigner occasionally, still following from afar through a usually crowded sidewalk, Dark alley, huh? Either dumb or confident, She analyzed, internally. At this rate, it was obviously Laurie's best option to keep the distance. But even though her eyes occasionally shifted, it didn't mean her focus wasn't on the black-haired girl. Other than her strength, something about her felt weird.
Revna
Revna waited just around the corner of said alley. While it was stereotypical as Hell, it should work. No one would voluntarily walk in such an alley. And she should know if they would, especially with Huginn on the roof, keeping watch. So she waited.
Laurie
Laurie noticed the raven on the roof near the alleyway where the girl waited, she seemed to be on lookout. This person seemed relatively clever, so 'confidence' it was. By her looks, she wouldn't lure anyone into an alleyway, even if she knew who/if anyone was following her. So, Laurie knew she remained undetected still. But, as the short-haired brunette was on the same sidewalk as the alley, Laurie noticed a few people, men and women, looking sketchy as fuck. They could hardly keep their eyes off the alley or their smug faces away. They were definitely muggers. Targeting the other girl. But she couldn't have known it was them, otherwise her waiting so exposed wouldn't be a first choice. Laurie was closer than they were to her, though, If anything, I can get away, she thought to herself, heading into the alleyway. It was strange, Laurie would usually just stay in the crowd to avoid thieves, which as shown, she'd learned to easily detect. Another seizure probably wouldn't hurt much more anyway, she figured. She normally didn't care if a random person got mugged, it happened often. But... a certain new instinct stepped in to warn this foreign girl, for some reason.
Revna
The moment the person -girl, really- stepped into the alley, Rev struck. She pulled her in and slammed her into the brick wall, maybe with a bit too much force than was necessary. She pushed her forearm against the assailant's throat.
"Who are you and why are you following me!"
she demanded, locking eyes with her. She noticed the girl was much smaller than she was, 155 centimeters at best, with brown hair and eyes.
Laurie
"Agh!!!"
Laurie exclaimed in pain as her head slammed against the cement, putting a hand up to it with clenched fingers. This felt so bad with her constant headache! The girl growled as she looked up at the one in front of her, putting another hand up near the girl's arm.
"Learn to look around with your eyes, damn it! You're being followed by multiple people."
She told her, in anger and in agony, grunting again from the hit. She had to look up. The girl was tall. 175 centimeters at least. With straight, black hair she drew attention. But her eyes were her most curious feature. One was blue while the other was a bright gold. It seemed to faintly shimmer in the dim light in the alley.
Revna
"And by you. Why?"
Revna replied stoically. Indeed, it was hard not to notice the shady figures lurking by.
"I don't care about some human threat. Either stop following me or tell me why you're doing it,"
she repeated once more.
Laurie
Laurie grunted again.
"A little 'thank you for the warning' would've been nice!"
She replied, making sharp movements with her arms from the girl.
"Could you let go now, or you wanna worsen my concussion?"
Laurie asked with irritation.
"Sure'd make it easier to say why I tailed you."
Revna
A fair point, she admitted. She took a step back, inclining her head in the slightest. Still, Rev kept her spear -which still looked like a stick- in a non-hostile but still ready way.
"Then tell me: why tail me? What have I done to arouse your suspicion?"
Laurie
Laurie didn't wanna be careless about her actions now. While the girl wasn't a New Yorker, she could still develop intentions of harassing Laurie right here and now.
"Well, while your vocabulary's something to add to the list, you did crush a metal armrest with your bare hand just before."
she started, still wary eyes on the girl.
"And something tells me it was by accident, 'cause otherwise it's property damage you gotta pay for,"
Laurie said, even though she was herself getting some answers out of the girl with her words. She suspected this girl to be from a country-like or less modern country, tourists could often be fooled when you whipped out the 'money' card, while there was a very low possibility that she'd be charged for it. Laurie did send her suspicious eyes though, trying to seek out signs of certain 'unspoken qualities' of the person in front of her.
Revna
Rev clenched her jaw. So someone did notice my slip-up.
"You have not answered my question. Why follow me around if-"
A raven cawed several times. Huginn, telling her multiple people were approaching. She looked to the entrance of the alley.
"There are people coming. Friends of yours?"
Now it was Revna who gave the suspicious look.
Laurie
The increased headache made Laurie unable to roll her eyes.
"Are you dense? Obviously, and no!"
Laurie said to both of the idiot's last sentences, she didn't take a hint of any kind, did she?! Soon, Laurie just leaned up against the wall. Suffering a concussion just to warn her, how stupid.
"I hope you're not shy, 'cause you could put those iron fists to actual use now,"
she told her, eying the muggers coming this way. The younger girl didn't look very worried about this at all. Laurie soon bend down to pick up her sketchbook and pencil case.
"Made me drop all my stuff, too,"
she mumbled, still irritated.
Revna
Rev turned to face the evildoers. 3 men and a woman.
"Seems a bit over the top to have 4 people rob a young woman, does it not?"
Their faces contorted. Two grabbed metal pipes while the others drew knives.
"Shut up if you know what's good for you! All your valuable stuff, give it!"
Rev raised an eyebrow and glanced at her earlier interlocutor. It didn't seem, at least, that they were with her.
Laurie
Laurie looked back at the muggers, casting them slightly threatening eyebrows. Sometimes, Laurie was able to not show weakness at instant will. Luckily, now was one of those times. When she'd gotten back up, she eyed Rev again.
"Seems like you've got this covered."
She simply said to her after a few seconds of observation.
"I'll leave 'em to you, then."
She finished nonchalantly, walking over towards a back corner of the shadowy alley.
Revna
Rev stared at her, eyebrows raised. Awfully bold of her, she couldn't help but think. But not wrong. She put her spear against the wall. There would be no need for it. She settled into a stance and gestured for them to come closer.
"I'm not giving you anything, so come."
With a furious face and equally angry yell, the one who spoke earlier came running and swung his knife in a wild haymaker. Rev merely blocked his arm, before squeezing it. The man howled in pain and dropped the knife. She grabbed his collar and threw him over her shoulder. Using too much force, she sent the man flying, though. She shrugged. Mystery Girl went that way too. She turned back to the robbers.
"So, who's next?"
With fearful, yet indignant faces, all three attacked at once. Power in numbers, she supposed. It mattered not. Dodging two strikes of a pipe, she punched the attacker in the chest, feeling bones break. One. The woman approached with her knife out. She redirected a stab into the shoulder of the last man. Two. She then elbowed the woman in the face. And three. Within a minute, all three lay grunting on the ground. Rev turned to see how Mystery Girl was doing, and the guy she threw her way.
Laurie
Laurie was still walking to the back end, though looking back at the fight as she did… She was right, this girl did have powers! That one leader guy she sent flying, made it clear to her. The guy didn't seem finished, though. He stood up again as he panted from the landing near Laurie, while the girl just eyed him in a hostile manner that said: don't come near me. The man ignored it though, and with a yell of fury from just having been thrown around by some girl already, swung his knife directly towards the brunette's throat! Then, with ease, Laurie slipped down into the pavement where she stood, nowhere to be seen. The attacker made sure to be in the way of any possible on-lookers from outside the alley, and stumbled to the ground as he missed the girl entirely.
"The fuck?! Where'd she go?!"
He yelled in angry confusion.
Revna
Rev watched as Mystery Girl disappeared into thin air, leaving a very confused, angry man. Stunned, she shook her head. That possibly explained some things. Why she had followed her, for one. Someone else with powers... Rev had never really entertained the thought of anyone like her. Well, not exactly, but on principle. It sparked something in her. But first… She now stood between the leader of the robbers and the exit of the alley. As the man saw his compatriots groaning on the floor, he tried to make a run for it. Oh no, you don't. Grabbing the man as he tried to run past her, she threw him on the ground and looked down at him.
"What to do with you..."
she murmured to herself. Something cold came over her. I should eliminate anything that could become a threat in the future. If she let him go, just like that, he might return with even more people. She grabbed his knife and made to efficiently cut his throat when she stopped, shocked by herself. What the fuck am I doing?! She stumbled backwards and dropped the knife. The man had wet himself and passed out in fear. There was no threat from him. She looked at her hands and then punched the brick wall hard enough to crack it. What is happening to me now?!
Laurie
A pair of brown eyes came out from the wall the foreigner punched, next to the cracks. They briefly looked down at the terrified men and woman on the ground, before going back to the black-haired girl and morphed out the brunette's head.
"Well, that's one way to do it."
Laurie voiced, letting the rest of herself come out of the wall, her hands loosening a tight grip of her stuff.
Revna
Rev hardly noticed the girl materialized from the wall. That just now... that wasn't me. Was it? It felt like me. But not, at the same time. The changes in her body were one thing, but this? If she couldn't trust what she felt were her own feelings... Troubles for later times. No time for an identity crisis. Now, she looked at Laurie.
"What? All the work is done. Is there something else you want?"
she asked rather mockingly, hinting at the fact how she basically had to defeat all the robbers alone. Huginn flew down from the building and landed on her shoulder, softly cawing. He'd seen police cars coming. Someone outside the alley must've seen some of what happened and made the call. Rev focused on her hearing. Faintly, in the distance, she heard the sirens.
"The police are coming. I'm leaving."
Abruptly, she turned, grabbed her spear and made to leave the alley.
Laurie
Laurie scoffed a bit.
"You won't make it for long, cowgirl,"
she bluntly said to the taller girl as she faced down casually with her eyes closed.
Revna
"What do you mean by that, human?"
She'd stopped walking but hadn't turned around yet.
"And don't call me that."
Laurie
"You see, with powers like that. Out of control. What do you think will happen to you?"
Laurie asked the stranger.
"Whether you're capable of controlling them or not, neither's gonna matter much once you're caught by the force,"
she told her, raising an eyebrow in her direction.
Revna
Revna scoffed.
"Out of control? What are you talking about?"
She turned this time and faced the girl.
"And you are wrong if you think mor- the police can either stop or hold me."
The impudence of this girl.
Laurie
Laurie blinked once, unfazed.
"I think you know that's not what I'm talking about."
The police would without a doubt not hold her back, but much stronger forces would. And they wouldn't do it painlessly.
Revna
She considered her words. There was some truth in them, after all. Huginn cawed again. He was right. What did she have to lose by listening to this girl?
"Alright. Then what do you suggest, human?"
she replied.
Laurie
Laurie's expression became less nonchalant as the country-girl finally decided to listen.
"Drop that nickname and follow me."
She said, heading over to the back alley with a tall wooden blockade to another side of the buildings.
Revna
Revna did follow, but replied as well.
"It is not a nickname. It's a description, since I don't know your name."
Laurie
"Mine was also a description. Chill out, I haven't asked for your name yet, have I?"
Laurie responded, trying to indicate at least a hint of common sense to the other girl, if she'd catch on. Laurie stopped by the wooden wall, pointing up,
"Go past that, a street straight ahead, one right turn until you're in the woods. Meet me there."
She told her, morphing into the wall again as the ravenette stood between her and the other exit.
Revna
Being left alone, she shook her head. Weirdo. She looked over at Huginn.
"You heard her. Go scout ahead, see if it's safe."
The raven flew up. Rev rolled her shoulders and took a few steps back before running ahead, stepping twice on the wooden wall and pushed off, reaching the edge. She pulled herself up and over, landing on the ground on the other side with a roll. With a shrug, she started walking in the direction Mystery Girl told her to.