2013.04.23 - Hope's Search

The medical lab of the Halo Towers, the section used by Stormwatch, is a mixture of cutting edge human tech and some alien technology salvaged or rebuilt from Spartan startship. It is highly advanced, as well as quiet and pleasant. Nate has been here since he arrived, quite unconscious. Concussed, said the doctors, as well as a pretty battered, with cuts from shrapnel and five cracked ribs. His uniform protected him from serious burns and worse cuts, but he hit his head pretty hard when he crashed, and his right cheek is bandaged.

And on one bed of that section there is a girl, on a med-bed, with her foot up. Odds are it's good enough that if she wanted to leave, she could /try/ to get out. But due to the injury and how deep it was, she was told to stay there for a day or two. Of course despite that, she has made sure that what little she had on her, including that odd... Uniform she was wearing never left her sight. And on top of that she also asked a few times that any tissue samples taken from her were destroyed (of course if they were or not is anyones guess).

But anyways, as she wakes up again, she glances around and then frown as she glances over towards Nate. Heck, just the sight of him is enough to cause her to snap fully awake and sit up in her own bed.

"Crap."


 * "Oh yeah, sucks."| Replies Nate's disembodied voice. |"They pumped me with some kind of drug and now I can't wake up. And that stupid telepathic song was driving me nuts."| For a few seconds there is no one there. Then a transparent Nate floats down through the ceiling, ghost-like. |"Astral projection"| he explains, |"one of the few fun bits of telepathy. Hi."|

...And Hope is not startled by the voice in her head. Or the astral form on Nate. Not as she turns and tries to swing her legs over the side of the bed so she can sit a bit more comfortably.

"If you are a telepath, then you can wake yourself up. It's just a matter of willpower." is said as she frowns. "Of course that just shows a bit more how much like /them/ you are. Of course between the face and the TK I should of know. Not that he ever really used it. Not on others anyways."

Can he? Nate didn't try to wake up too hard, as he has nothing pressing to do. At least nothing he can't do with astral projection. And maybe he is not eager to wake up with a headache, drugged to the gills and all the rest. Hope's words make him narrow his eyes. |"You mean Him, right? Cable."| Nate 'sits down' on the bed and looks at Hope's bandaged ankle. |"That is a guy I would love to have a chat with. He is a Summers, he is kinda family, but we seem to be a weird clan. I am from a parallel timeline, and I know a Rachel Summers that came from the future."|

Cable?

There isn't even a blink of recognition at that name. Instead, there's a shrug.

"Nathan? He's a Summers. So's his clone. So am I. That is if you want to get into technicalities."

Then there's another shrug.

"And if you find him, let me know. I... We were separated after the last time jump. We ended up here, under attack from another time traveler. The two of them were fighting hand to hand, I got pushed away, out of range, and they... Jumped."

Of course at the Rachel bit there is a frown as a face appears in her mind. One belonging to a woman who once chased her down. A redhead, and a telepath. Heck the time-lost redhead thinks that face so strongly that it may as well be broadcast.

"Her?"


 * "Yes, that is Rachel"| confirms Nate. |"Ah, so the X-Men are looking for you? Interesting, I should talk to them."| Pause, |"and you need to stop running. Whatever changes you fear to make in your past, they are already happening because you are here and people is worried, looking for you or just getting killed in the crossfire."|

And here's where Hope... Smiles?

"Running is part of the plan. Hiding would be better, but I'm tired of hiding. Just like I'm tired of running. I'm just trying /not/ to make things to easy for /him/ when he finds me."

Then there's a wince.

"All though after the attack, I wouldn't put it past him to of been behind it. After all, if those guys are who I think they were, they tried to get at me, or will, when I was a baby. It wouldn't take much for a time traveler who wants me dead to up and aim them at me."

Then there's a pause.

"They're the X-Men? Greeeeeat. Looks like I'll have to speed things up a bit then."

Nate frowns, floating to the floor, and starts pacing around the bed. |"Whoever 'he' is, he seems to be willing to take a forever to attack you, doesn't he? Centuries to wreck the world and all that jazz. On the other hand the guys yesterday thought you were the anti-Christ or some mythological garbage. Look, we can hide you. Illyana can hide you in other dimension and Jake can hide you in other planet. And then what? Your hunter can wait 20 years for you to get back. Nothing is gained, and your life is wasted."|

In another planet...?

No thank you.

Not that Hope says that out loud.

"As I said, I have a plan. I'm tired of running. If you guys want to risk things and help me? Fine. If the X-Men do too? You know what...? Fine. But since He is... Was... Will be an X-Man, this is just tricky. But until I find a way to draw /him/ out, preferably in a time and place of my choosing, my staying still is /not/ something I'd like to do. Not until I get certain... Basics set up."

What is wrong with other planets? Nate is sure there must be some that are not rocky wastelands. Spartan has not show him them yet, though. |"How about you warn us about him and his powers? I mean the everyone, not just Stormwatch. Because it looks like you want to deal with this by yourself alone, which stopped being a good idea when that guy showed to be willing to kill millions to get at you, like he killed your whole Earth. Your problem is a problem for the whole world, Hope. And even if he kills you, I bet he will find something else to do and keep killing. Those guys never stop."|

There's a deep breath, before an image, a strong one appears in Hopes mind. One that looks like it's out of a history book. A painting really. One where it looks like a wooden city is on fire while 18th century british soldiers are fighting American Revolution era soldiers. And smack dab in the middle are a guy that looks a bit like Nate but older, and Hope.

Then there's sounds... Like a Tommy Gun... No multiple Tommy Guns being fired, and someone shouting about 'protecting the 'speak easy'?

Then there's a mental image of New York city in ruins..

And... Then, before anything else can appear in her mind, it goes blank.

"Look, let me put this a different way for you. based on what I've told you and the others in regards to how he destroyed the Earth, what do you think the best thing to do would be? To help protect me. /OR/ to find and disable the things he used to do what he did? After all, if I were to do what he did, and could time travel on my own, and I knew I needed to keep the weapons I was using hidden until they went off, I wouldn't instantly bury them in the ground. I'd jump around a bit. Get an idea what was being built when, and when it was destroyed. /THEN/ when the things that are still in one piece when I want the weapons to go off are established, I'd go back to when they're being built, even if it was /BEFORE/ they were finished and somehow incorporate the weapons into them. That way when the time comes.... Boom."

"Of course if someone else were to find out about these weapons, and were to find them, I'd have to stop them. That is unless I was distracted by trying to kill my main target, while someone else, or a group of someone elses... Well... Disarmed those weapons, or removed them, or what ever. /While/ I was distracted."

Ugh. Time travel. |"I don't see how someone can be 'distracted' if they can pop up anywhere in time and space. The fact you are still alive means that guy has limitations and we are worrying too much."| Nate makes a note to ask Spartan about it, though. |"You have to keep your guard up, sure. But you have to do that anyway in this business. Wandering around unarmed is a recipe to get killed."|

And here's where Hope... Grins.

"Oh he does have a limitation. Two possibly. One is he's focused on me. The other is he has another time traveler out to stop him. So he has to keep moving as well."

Then there's a yawn, and a pause as she shakes her head and starts to lie down again.

"But you're missing the point here. After all, back to what I'd do if I were trying to hide weapons that could destroy the world like that and could time travel..."

"I mean just think about it. Imagine if somehow they were found. not just one or two, that would be expected. But a whole bunch. Possibly enough to make my plan anything to a sure thing."

"I mean, I don't know about you, but then I'd have to go back. Maybe put the weapons back. Maybe take them and move them elsewhere. Or maybe stop who ever it was doing this. Either way though..."

Yawn.

"It'd mean that.." Another yawn. "I'd have to show up. Possibly at a specific time, possibly a specific place, and if that were to happen..."

 replies Nate. 

And here's where there's yet another yawn, before Hope murmurs...

Don't know where they are. Still.... Looking..."

"Think I might know where one is... Sidney."

"And I can't do this. Gotta keep his attention on me..."

Nate rolls his eyes, all ghostly. |"Seems a half-cooked plan to me. You can't even get to Sydney by yourself. Also, you look like you need to catch some sleep. We can talk more later, when I am also awake."|

And by the time that Nate has 'said' that, Hope unfortunately has already ended up out like a light unfortunately.

All though hopefully this at least has answered some of his questions regarding her.