AU Mainland, Wednsday
May. 2nd, 2007 04:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
l1ttle_billyThe trip from The Pitt to Springfield had taken all night, though Billy couldn't say for certain whether that was due to distance, or just a way of shaking off possible pursuit.
"Home sweet home." Zartan announced as they entered the town. Billy looked around warily, and was pleased to see that this was not the same Springfield from his world. That would have just been too weird.
Zartan and his daughter had personally seen to his getting to Springfield. Billy had managed not to stare at Zanya, despite having dated a version of her a few months ago. Getting out of the disturbingly scaled down and un-pimped-out Thunder Machine, Billy looked at the building before him. It was not, as he'd expected, city hall. Nor was it a lavish mansion. It was a hotel. A nice hotel, but not the Hilton.
"This is where Cobra Commander lives?" he asked. He refused to call the man father. Even if he was willing to accept him as a good guy, he was not, technically his father.
As they headed into the building, Zanya split off into a room that Billy could see had been set up as a studio. A man apparently was getting ready to go on the air, and Billy did a double take.
"Here you are Spin Doctor." Zanya said, handing the man several video-tapes. "Compliments of Magpie."
"Hey Zanya," he grinned, taking the tapes. "Excellent. Has he edited them at all?"
"I think he cut together a few interviews and group shots in the Van." she replied. "Nothing fancy."
"I'll get the tech guys to work on that right away." he said. "Should have something ready by the time we go online tonight."
Zartan and Billy's path led them away from the studio. "Spin Doctor?" Billy inquired. "Isn't that a little misleading? No pun intended? Isn't a Spin Doctor's job to make something bad seem either good or unimportant?"
"If the government decides to announce a terrorist attack on a harmless research lab we'll be needing a Spin Doctor." Zartan said.
Billy shrugged. "Okay."
"William?" a shocked voice said softly.
Billy looked back in the direction they were going, and saw the Baroness. Looking quite a bit kinder than he'd ever seen her. Even when they were friends, there'd been a hardness about her. That hardness was not absent in this version, but it seemed, different somehow. As if there was a wall, that he was allowed past, even if few others were.
"What's happened to you?" she asked, automatically reaching out to touch the eye-patch.
"Uh, that's complicated." he answered lamely. "I understand that the Commander's looking forward to meeting me."
She noticed his refusal to refer to Cobra Commander as his father, when no one else seemed to have. Her eyes gained that cautious, calculating look that he remembered. But she finally nodded, understanding. Zartan took his leave, off to make sure Zanya didn't get too flirtatious with any of Spin Doctor's staff, and the Baroness took Billy the rest of the way to the Commander's suite.
"William!" Cobra Commander exclaimed exuberantly, and stepped forward to embrace his son. When Billy backed hurriedly away, bringing his hands up defensively, he froze, his face stricken. He quickly composed himself. "I'm sorry." he said. "Of course, I should have realized-"
"No, no I'm sorry." Billy shook his head. "Sir, I'm not...exactly who you think I am." As best he could, he explained what had happened to bring him there, and gave them only the barest description of his own world. From the horrified look on both their faces, he was glad he didn't go into specifics.
"...I, imagine you'll be wanting to return to this, Fandom High then." his father said sadly. "Are you sure you couldn't-"
"I can't stay here." Billy insisted. "This isn't my world and I've got people who're probably worried by now back home. But, I may be able to give you some clues as to where your real son is. Though I don't guarantee you'll like it."
"Go on."
"Lady Jaye seemed to think I was supposed to be working on the same side as her. I think, I think your Billy might be an agent for the Government."
Baroness swore, but his father nodded calmly. "I've often wondered if that was the case. When your mother was killed by a bullet meant for me I sent you with Storm Shadow for your protection. You were only a baby then. But then Firefly found Tommy's body, and you gone..."
Billy had to sit down at that point. This whole world was completely upside down and backwards and it was getting to him.
"Where is this causeway?" Baroness asked.
"Alexandria."
"That's not going to be easy to get to. It's too close to the capital."
"I understand." Billy sighed. "Just point me in the right direction and-"
"Not so fast." she snapped, once more seeming more like the Baroness he remembered. "I said it wouldn't be easy. I didn't say it was impossible. We'll think of something. In the meantime, I hope you'll join us for dinner. You must be famished by now."
"I am a bit hungry, yeah." Billy smiled reluctantly.
ooc: No interaction, and NFB
"Home sweet home." Zartan announced as they entered the town. Billy looked around warily, and was pleased to see that this was not the same Springfield from his world. That would have just been too weird.
Zartan and his daughter had personally seen to his getting to Springfield. Billy had managed not to stare at Zanya, despite having dated a version of her a few months ago. Getting out of the disturbingly scaled down and un-pimped-out Thunder Machine, Billy looked at the building before him. It was not, as he'd expected, city hall. Nor was it a lavish mansion. It was a hotel. A nice hotel, but not the Hilton.
"This is where Cobra Commander lives?" he asked. He refused to call the man father. Even if he was willing to accept him as a good guy, he was not, technically his father.
As they headed into the building, Zanya split off into a room that Billy could see had been set up as a studio. A man apparently was getting ready to go on the air, and Billy did a double take.
"Here you are Spin Doctor." Zanya said, handing the man several video-tapes. "Compliments of Magpie.""Hey Zanya," he grinned, taking the tapes. "Excellent. Has he edited them at all?""I think he cut together a few interviews and group shots in the Van." she replied. "Nothing fancy."
"I'll get the tech guys to work on that right away." he said. "Should have something ready by the time we go online tonight."
Zartan and Billy's path led them away from the studio. "Spin Doctor?" Billy inquired. "Isn't that a little misleading? No pun intended? Isn't a Spin Doctor's job to make something bad seem either good or unimportant?"
"If the government decides to announce a terrorist attack on a harmless research lab we'll be needing a Spin Doctor." Zartan said.
Billy shrugged. "Okay."
"William?" a shocked voice said softly.
Billy looked back in the direction they were going, and saw the Baroness. Looking quite a bit kinder than he'd ever seen her. Even when they were friends, there'd been a hardness about her. That hardness was not absent in this version, but it seemed, different somehow. As if there was a wall, that he was allowed past, even if few others were.
"What's happened to you?" she asked, automatically reaching out to touch the eye-patch.
"Uh, that's complicated." he answered lamely. "I understand that the Commander's looking forward to meeting me."
She noticed his refusal to refer to Cobra Commander as his father, when no one else seemed to have. Her eyes gained that cautious, calculating look that he remembered. But she finally nodded, understanding. Zartan took his leave, off to make sure Zanya didn't get too flirtatious with any of Spin Doctor's staff, and the Baroness took Billy the rest of the way to the Commander's suite.
"William!" Cobra Commander exclaimed exuberantly, and stepped forward to embrace his son. When Billy backed hurriedly away, bringing his hands up defensively, he froze, his face stricken. He quickly composed himself. "I'm sorry." he said. "Of course, I should have realized-"
"No, no I'm sorry." Billy shook his head. "Sir, I'm not...exactly who you think I am." As best he could, he explained what had happened to bring him there, and gave them only the barest description of his own world. From the horrified look on both their faces, he was glad he didn't go into specifics.
"...I, imagine you'll be wanting to return to this, Fandom High then." his father said sadly. "Are you sure you couldn't-"
"I can't stay here." Billy insisted. "This isn't my world and I've got people who're probably worried by now back home. But, I may be able to give you some clues as to where your real son is. Though I don't guarantee you'll like it."
"Go on."
"Lady Jaye seemed to think I was supposed to be working on the same side as her. I think, I think your Billy might be an agent for the Government."
Baroness swore, but his father nodded calmly. "I've often wondered if that was the case. When your mother was killed by a bullet meant for me I sent you with Storm Shadow for your protection. You were only a baby then. But then Firefly found Tommy's body, and you gone..."
Billy had to sit down at that point. This whole world was completely upside down and backwards and it was getting to him.
"Where is this causeway?" Baroness asked.
"Alexandria."
"That's not going to be easy to get to. It's too close to the capital."
"I understand." Billy sighed. "Just point me in the right direction and-"
"Not so fast." she snapped, once more seeming more like the Baroness he remembered. "I said it wouldn't be easy. I didn't say it was impossible. We'll think of something. In the meantime, I hope you'll join us for dinner. You must be famished by now."
"I am a bit hungry, yeah." Billy smiled reluctantly.
ooc: No interaction, and NFB
