[Voice]

[zapswithmagic]

[Billy's taken some time to get his bearings again here. When he was here the last time, he was sent home and time had passed, he'd come back to only find a few days had passed. Coming back now and finding that it's been nine months is a bit of a shock. He's used a few locating spells to try and find his friends but so far nothing's come up. Tommy, Kate, Teddy, even Erik, it seems, are all gone. Not very surprising considering how long it's been but still, after everything that happened with Doom, he feels more lonely now than ever. He's praying that maybe something is going on and he just can't pick up on them, that they're still around.]

... Hey. Uhm. This is Billy Kaplan. I was here for about half a year until August. Looks like I was gone for awhile. A really long while. Just... wondering if there's anyone still around who remembers me. Or if there's anyone who knows about the Avengers or Young Avengers. If you could talk to me, that'd be great.

There was also someone here named Michael Xavier when I was around. He's... important to me and it looks like he's not in the city anymore. If someone could tell me what happened to him, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.

Comments

[thelittlestbub]

[Triple thick, chocolate milkshakes with whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles and the requisite cherry on top. Good enough to make your pancreas cry wolf.]

Welcome home, Billy.

[HUGS FOR YOU. She missed you.]

[zapswithmagic]

Hi. [He smiles and hugs her back. It feels good to get a hug.] Had a run in with the X-Men back home. Wolverine's the same as ever.

[thelittlestbub]

Yeah? Figures. He never changes.

[Waves him to follow her and grabs her milkshake.]

C'mon. You want your own apartment, or you wanna stay at your grandfather's place?

[zapswithmagic]

Is all my stuff gone?

[thelittlestbub]

Nah, down in storage. I can get some folks to help you move it in wherever you want. Just tell me where and it's all yours.

[zapswithmagic]

Then it doesn't really matter where you put me.

[thelittlestbub]

Then we'll go up to his. He's not here, but... he won't mind. You're one of the grandbabies.

[Leads him in and sips her milkshake.]

Okay, start asking what you need to know, and I'll try to explain the best I can.

[zapswithmagic]

What happened to Tommy, Kate, and Teddy? Are they really gone? If they are, how long where they around before they went back home? Were they okay? And where's Zayde? Is he really dead? [The name just kind of slips out. It's been so long since he's said it when speaking about Erik. He feels a little guilty because he didn't remember how close they used to be and now that he's back, he can't believe he could ever have forgotten.]

[thelittlestbub]

Teddy stuck around another couple of months and then... [She shakes her head.]

None of them died. They just disappeared. The way it is around here sometimes.

[She collapses on the couch and curls up.]

No. He's not dead but the island has to think he is. If it gets out that he isn't, he could be in some real trouble. Not from people, but from SERO.

[zapswithmagic]

[A couple of months. That puts a knot in his throat. Is this what karma feels like?] I wish I could tell him I'm sorry... [He gives a little smile.] He'd just proposed back home.

[Oh that fills him with so much relief. No more people dying, he can't deal with it right now.] Why is he in hiding? What'd he do?

[thelittlestbub]

Proposed?! [Jubilee grins. She likes when people get to be happy.]

Congratulations.

That's so awesome. He shows up here, we're totally throwing you guys a wedding.

[A sip.]

He broke into SERO, looking into something. Things went wrong. We're waiting to see what SERO does before he reemerges.

He's staying with... well, Archangels.

[zapswithmagic]

[He kind of flails a little at the wedding thing, making a time out signal with his hands.] Whoa whoa whoa, I mean, yeah we're gonna get married, but it's more like in a few years after we've graduated from high school. We're like 17. Well. Almost, in my case. And I'd want to talk about it with him first. [Awkward engagement jitters are totally showing right now. Let's just change the subject.]

Do you know what he was looking for...? [Archangels. Well, he's seen people with wings before back home, it's not that weird.]

[thelittlestbub]

[You're so adorable, Billy.

She just grins and sips her milkshake.]

They were growing something. Something beyond normal human experimentation. Another kid from our world found them and then your grandfather went in to see what was going on and they got jumped.

[zapswithmagic]

What was it? Who's the kid?

[thelittlestbub]

[Jubilee shakes her head. That's above her paygrade.]

I don't know. I haven't heard yet.

He was a student back before I left the school. Not sure who he is, but he's laying low with the angels too.

[zapswithmagic]

... Can I go see him?

[thelittlestbub]

[A pause.]

I can ask? No guarantees. But, Michael or Lucifer might bring him here.

[zapswithmagic]

[He's going to assume those are the angels.] They don't need to bring him here, I just... want to see him and talk to him for a little. Or give him a note if I can't do that or something, to let him know I'm back and that I remember him.

[thelittlestbub]

I can definitely get a note passed on. Anything else, I'll ask. But they tend to get a bit jumpy about bringing folks to their house.

Anything else I can help with?

[zapswithmagic]

I'll write something up then. Thanks.

... I talked to some guy named Crowley.

[thelittlestbub]

[Jubilee rolls her eyes and sips her milkshake.]

Lemme guess? Your grandfather tortured him for fun and then he died and Magneto is hiding behind the archangels?

[zapswithmagic]

Is it true?

[thelittlestbub]

Did he do it for fun? No. Did he kill Crowley? Yes. Is he hiding behind the archangels? No. Is he staying there? Yes. Do I like it? No. Is there anything I can do about it? Maybe.

[zapswithmagic]

So... why did he kill him? Did you ask him about it?

[thelittlestbub]

[She's so tired of this. However, Billy might understand.]

He was slipping, Billy. I don't know why, or how, but back in April, last year, he attempted suicide. I thought that he was getting better. I was wrong. Something happened and I missed it. His mental state wasn't as firm as I thought it was.

Anyway, the reason? Something about your Mom and a demon. I don't know any more than that. It wasn't right, and when he's finally back in his right mind, we'll be having explosions about it, but until then, I have to wait.