May 22, 2015:
Dark Wanda meets Hope Summers…but they seem to have met before. Somewhere.
NYC
Characters
NPCs: None.
Mentions:
Plot:
Mood Music: [*\# None.]
Fade In…
Hope is dressed casually this time, or rather Gothy. An energy gun is in her tote, though honestly with so many mutants in M-Town she is far from defenseless, let alone her own combat abilities. However, Hope is not the most social creature by far, she is really using this time to do daylight patrol for potential Purifier activity. And at one point, getting a cup of free water from a shop, she finds a roof top to sit atop to sip at her water and stare below at the day-time activity. So far it has been quiet, and she has kinda appreciated that even if it was boring….less innocents get hurt and/or die.
"Who are you?" asks a deep voice that sounds like it also has a cold…but, no, it just sounds like that. And when Hope looks around then she will see that it is actually a woman speaking too. A woman dressed in black - from boots, to latex pants, to corset, to gloves. The black is even around her eyes, on her lips and through her hair…it seems Hope has competition in the Goth stakes. "You came from another world" she continues, tilting her head to one side as she perches atop the door opening out onto the building rooftop. Black wisps of fog or smoke emanate from her like tendrils, probing and searching the air and ground around her. Magical scarlet energy envelops one hand. "But it was a world where /she/ was."
Hope senses so many mutants about, so she doesn't think twice about it, until the question, which causes her to tense up. A mutant is even flying in the sky nearby. She actually stands as she turns around, her feet braced apart for better balance even as she instinctively reaches out to get a sense of this woman. Her green eyes narrow a bit, refusing to be intimidated. Seriously, she stood toe-to-toe with Brood as a young teenager! Still, her head tilts slightly in confusion. "Huh?"
"Ummm, I suppose I am from another Earth, and not sure who she was unless you mean yourself, and maybe. Holes in the memory prevent me from giving you a straight answer." Her lips press into a thin line. The powers Hope sense are familiar, for some reason she wants to punch the girl…repeatedly. But….why?! "Looks like you got issues, and I suppose this is where I'm supposed to pretend I care and say 'want to talk about it'?" And Hope then smirks, being her typical bad-ass self, but there is a bit of worry in her eyes. Not worry for herself, but worry for this girl that is before her. Stupid tender heart!
"Issues?" Dark Wanda shakes her head. "I am the happiest I have ever been" she smiles with obvious malevolence. She stretches her arms out over her head. "So nice to be free. Don't you think?" Wanda jumps from her perch and studies Hope as she slowly, and warily, approaches. "Memory issues? That must be very annoying." A pause. "Do you want to talk about it?" she replies, returning the question with the same insincerity it was framed in for her.
"So who are you watching?" Wanda asks, peering over the edge of the building for a moment before her flaming red eyes are back on Hope. "I heard her words when you arrived. What they said was…interesting…but I also think they are now out of date. Oh…you haven't told me your name."
"Uh-huh. So many, you got subscriptions girl. Welcome to the club, and make-believe is totally the way to go." But Hope then says, "Actually, it is very annoying, but not really, cause it makes me angry and wants me to punch bad guys in the face to make me feel better. Or shoot them in the face depending, that's fun too," and a bit of a lopsided grin there.
"And, watching out for Purifiers, they have been mutant hunter and causing problems even during the day sometimes," Hope states truthfully, not dodging the truth. "Add in laser guns and ceramic armor, and they are a total bitch." Her arms cross over her chest in annoyance, holding the now empty cup. Though she falls thoughtful.
"You…were there," and it hits Hope. "I sensed you. You were the one I sensed!" Her eyes widening a bit. "It was a spell, a spell to wish away the Phoenix, to bring mutants back from the brink of extinction on my Earth." She looks suddenly interested, "What do you know of it?"
"Such violence in one so young" Wanda sighs dramatically at Hope's spiel before perching on the edge of the building. "Purifiers? I have heard of them. Bigots and fools…though I do not think there is any bigot who is not a fool." The darkness seeps from her and into the bricks below her feet. "Laser guns and ceramic armour…how droll."
At Hope's exclamation, Wanda offers a half smile. "She was there" she admits with a nod. "What do you want me to know about it, Mystery Girl? And what would you offer to learn what I know?" A little snort of amusement, "Or would you shoot my face if I did not talk?"
"Hehehehe, mess up your pretty face? Na, I'd do that with my fist," and Hope soon moves to sit beside Wanda. She's grinning now, seeming almost…happy to be talking smack with someone. "I know there was a woman, her powers, they feel similar to yours actually, I copied them and we wished it away, magic. And, she is dangerous, but kind, and totally stupid. That's about it!" Course, little bits and pieces are coming back to Hope, but some of it she holds back.
"And I thought we were talking, not paying, cause sorry, I don't swing that way," and Hope sighs. "But if I did, I'd totally go for you." She's totally grinning. Course, the girl is kidding around, she never even had her first kiss! But perhaps that is what makes her feel safe with kidding around…because she is an innocent.
"Punch my face? How disappointing, I would have much preferred a kiss" Wanda sniggers before quirking a brow about the other Wanda. "Dangerous…yes. Kind…" Dark Wanda snorts. "That is a waste of power. Stupid? That I will have to agree with. Though this 'Phoenix Force' sounds interesting. Why don't you tell me some more about that? Especially about how it was destroyed. And it brought back mutants?"
"Umm…cosmic force that would rip you to shreds from the inside out? Only certain individuals have been able to control it, and even then it has overwhelmed them, and often killed them. I was born to be its perfect host, but dominated it, and then I betrayed it. I destroyed it to save our race rather than use it to destroy Earth and rebuild it from scratch, starting over like it wanted. The Phoenix does not have emotions like a human, though residues from previous hosts can be left behind within it. It…is a raw power, and it is not meant to be controlled. Perhaps I could have controlled it until my natural death," but Hope shrugs at that, "However, I'd likely have had to leave Earth for that, as getting emotionally compromised would have risked the Phoenix taking control and the Dark Phoenix being born. That power isn't fascinating," Hope warns. "It's terrifying, and to not respect it from a farrrrr distance whenever humanly possible, is to wish for your own destruction."
Wanda's red eyes study the young woman in front of her…though not that much younger in this world. "You need someone who can help you find your way. Someone who you trust enough to actually tell them your name." A sly wink at that. "I could be that person if you wished."
"Umm…I'm pretty sure the Phoenix flung me in another dimension, not the woman…or…your other self. The Phoenix was pretty pissed I was killing it you know." A snort, "No, I think that's right. I think it was her fault -I- was born, but…anyway, don't want to talk about that." Hope is annoyed just thinking about it!
Hope then laughs at that, "Trust? You look like you can't trust yourself," she advises Wanda. "Anyway, it sounds like you need someone -you- can trust. I know who I am, what I needed to do, and I did it. Now I get to decide what I -will- do, but that does not change who I am, merely -what- I am, and that's alright. It's not scary, just…confusing, and refreshing. You are right about being free, having choices, it can be a good thing especially if you make choices you are proud of that contributes to the world and the people you love and care about."
Hope then motions over M-Town, "Like these people. I care about them. I want to make their lives better, I want to protect them. What moves you stranger-danger?"
"But you don't even know them, how can you care about them?" Dark Wanda smiles sweetly. "And it seems you cannot trust yourself either…or at least your memories and emotions. And if that is not what we are, what are we?" She too looks down at the neighbourhood below. "And what makes you think the people down there /want/ your protection? It sounds a bit, what is the phrase, 'nanny state'? They are all just little children who need your guidance?"
Wanda pulls a small vial from her pocket and holds it up to show Hope. "This is what they need. This is what will make them safe and secure. This will let them be all they want to be without being subject to the whims of others." She considers Hope for a moment before slipping it back in her pocket. "But I do not think you are ready for it. You like being angry far too much."
"I still remember my experiences, what I have suffered, where I have failed, and where I have succeeded. I try not to think much of what I have lost, but what I have to gain. Summers don't give up, we will move forward." Hope then shrugs, "They aren't soldiers, I am. They shouldn't be wielded like a weapon, and I won't stand by and let them simply become one."
Hope then eyes vial before it disappears, then Wanda, "What…is that?"
"Something" Wanda shrugs about the vial, "But, as I said, you are not ready yet. All I know about you is that you are a Summers…and that means nothing to me. Should I just call you Summers? It seems rather unfair. You have known two of her but I still don't know your name." A sly smirk as she stands and nods. "Oh, yes, one should always move forward. Even a soldier…but does a soldier ever desire peace?"
"I don't have your name either," Hope states. "Turnabout is fair play. So…tell me about yourself." She then stretches and stands up as well, "Well, a soldier's dream is when they can retire. What I'd do with it I have no clue. Maybe find a decent guy, settle down, have babies? I don't know! Maybe I'll travel and do community service and help third world countries. The point is, the world will never be perfect, we aren't a utopia, so there will always be a need for someone with a strong spirit that cares, without asking for anything in return."
"But I thought you knew her" Dark Wanda smirks to the other woman. "A decent guy? You really do believe in miracles, don't you" she laughs before suddenly looking glum. Her eyes turning blue for a moment. "I thought I knew a decent man" she whispers, "Until he tore me apart." A shiver runs through her body and the eyes are back to red. "Babies? Ewww. Though I doubt you will have many when you retire soldiering at age seventy." A pause. "But what if I can make the world perfect?"
"No face, no name." And Hope is laughing! But she then reaches out, and if Wanda permits it, will touch her fingers with her own to hold them lightly, "Hey…there are some good men out there," her eyes darkening painfully. "The problem is keeping them alive. But we all have our flaws. Also, if you try to make the world perfect, I might have to really beat you senseless, and I'm starting to actually like you, so don't do it. Let humanity find its own place at its own pace. No magically trying to fix the world, alright?" Pain is in her eyes at mentioning that.
"But isn't that what you did to save your world, Summers?" Wanda smiles, "Magically fixed the world? You must have if /she/ was involved. Beat me senseless? Oh, yes, men will be lining up to be treated to your love." A teasing wink before glancing down at the fingers holding hers and shaking her head. "No…there are no men for her now. That time is over. She has much more important things to do." She withdraws her hand if she can. "You are an interesting person, Summers, and I hope that we do not come to blows one day. I do not think that would be a good day for either of us. Or the world."
"No, magically wished the Phoenix away, which brought mutants back to the world after magic made them -go away-, which in turn later helped led to the extinction of mankind." Hope shakes her head. "It didn't magically fix the entire world." Hope sighs as Wanda pulls away. "Traveler, my codename is Traveler, and I patrol M-Town. Come find me in the near future," she says seriously. "I'm not giving up on you." Awwwwwww!
"Traveler? That sounds like you do not intend to stay" Dark Wanda notes before quirking a brow. "Magic made the mutants go away? Now /that/ sounds interesting. You are not the first person to mention this." A polite bow of her head before she is standing on the edge of the building and the black cloud around her grows stronger and larger. "It is too late, Traveler, she has already given up on herself." Then she steps off the edge and starts to float away towards the river.
Hope watches Dark Wanda go away, and shakes her head. She is going to have to track that woman down, and she will manage it, that's just that. And now…to find out what the hell that liquid was, and what she can do to help. Already ready to save someone! That's a Summers for you.