Waya's voice echoed politely in everyone's minds.
Can you guys come to the rec room? Family meeting.
The
twins were the first to arrive, somewhat dreading what they knew the discussion would be about. It could be read on their faces too.
Waya was sitting at the head of the table, waiting. She looked like she had something on her mind, but she only lifted her eyes when the twins arrived.
Junior and Maribel came through the wall next to the television.
Rhydian came in and looked at Waya curiously. It wasn't every day she called a family meeting...
Coming in behind him,
Veronica entered, holding
left arm. It'd been a good while since she'd had anyone talk telepathically with her. It honestly freaked her out a bit.
Next came
Penelope wearing an wide neck, mauve sweater over a tank top and a skirt with fashionable biker shorts underneath.
Jeremy didn't take long, froth at the edge of his mouth from a recent toothbrush, hopefully at least. "Hey guys." he said with a smile and a little wave, moving over to sit down "We should just start doing this every day in the morning..."
They were still missing Eliza and
Waya realized George was the only one who wouldn't have heard her message. "Oh shit..." She stood and went to the intercom interface on the wall by the door. "Liz, George, could you join us in the rec room please?"
It took less than a minute before
George turned up. He stuck his head in the door and said calmly "Eliza's still asleep. Should I go wake her up?" After she'd finished the machine and had a bit of a party, Eliza had crashed hard. Even if George got her awake and here, it would be questionable if she would actually be here.
"Let her sleep."
Waya told him. "If we find out we need her you can go get her."
George nodded and stepped inside, standing beside the doorway, where he usually stood. It was as if he expected to make a bolt for the door any second.
"So what's the dealio?"
Penelope asked, looking at Waya.
"I need to know who's coming with me through Liz' machine."
Waya told her, sitting back down. "Liz is an automatic go, she knows that, but you guys need her to answer specific questions I can
wake her."
"Let her sleep."
Junior told her. "I think George and I know enough about the thing. We've been kinda helping. And I'm going, since I'm basically the battery for the thing."
Jeremy looked a little uncomfortable at the moment. "This... machine... it'll take you to your parents right?"
"There is no evidence or proof of that."
Jayden answered Jeremy, "They want to jump into a portal without testing it first. There are infinite dimensions and Eliza
thinks she has the right one."
"Based on a hunch probably." Jaden added. "And if the slim chance is correct, if our parents couldn't get out she has nothing guaranteeing that we could get back as well. It's borderline suicidal."
"It works."
Junior said. "I can create the proper energy field to get us back. She has all the info she needs to dial us home if we go to the wrong place."
"Readings based off the residual energy Spot left behind when he went nuts, gives Liz a reasonable idea of what to look for."
Waya said. "We know there are risks, but if you don't wanna go, you don't have to."
"I... I dunno."
Jeremy admitted, a little shyly "You guys are like my family... I don't want you to go out alone..." He looked a little swept up in his own thoughts at the moment "Actually... that pretty much terrifies me... I just... I don't like the idea of MORE interdimention
al messing around. I mean I was INSIDE Spiral. I know how bad it can go."
"If you want to stay, Jeremy, stay." Waya told him. "That's what we're here to discuss. I'm not going to make anyone go who doesn't want to. If it's just me, Liz and Junior, it's just me, Liz and Junior." But she glanced at Rhydian, pretty much certain what his decision would be.
Rhydian looked at her. There was no way he was going to leave her to do it alone. "There's no telling what you'll come across on the other side. You'll need backup." His powers would work on anything inanimate, if something jumped them, they'd find themselves being hit in the face with a wall if that was all there was available.
"If you need muscle... I'll go, but only if you need it..." Veronica said quietly. She'd been a much more reserved version of herself since she'd gotten back. The Veronica they'd known would have jumped at a chance to go into the unknown...
"So..why hasn't she sent a camera in there or something first and foremost?" asked Penelope.
"Ver, I can handle the muscle." Junior told her. "I'll take my adamantium plates with me and we'll be fine. You don't have to come if you don't want to."
"A camera can only reach so far." Waya said. "The images Liz got back weren't all that helpful. The probe determined that there's breathable air and a temperate climate, so we won't suffocate or freeze slash roast to death when we go through."
"The problem about probes is that it's difficult to control them through other dimensions." George said suddenly, speaking up from his place at the door "Eliza had to attach the device to basically a stick and put it through the portal. So we have a few shots of the other side and readings, but we could only explore as long as the stick was."
"Really?" Veronica asked Junior quietly. She didn't want to be the only one left behind either though...
"And if something happens and the portal closes? What then?" demanded Jaden.
"Really." Junior told her. He knew she must not be looking forward to rushing head long into something after the stress of the Mojoverse. Unlike Penelope who hadn't been there as long, Veronica had come back a very different person.
"That's why Junior's coming with us. It has to close once we go through because he won't be on this side to keep it open." Waya told the twins. "We've got the information we need to dial back home and Junior is the battery. We're taking two of the dump boxes he used before he had his energy abilities under control. They'll be like spare batteries in case he can't absorb the right kind of energy on the other side. They're already full and ready to go." She didn't like how the twins were arguing going, but they were providing good questions for everyone else who was undecided.
They had more, "And just how do you plan on finding them on the other side? Heck- for all we know, time moves differently there." Jayden said.
"Yeah. You guys could come back ten minutes or ten years from now." Jaden added.
"That's a risk I'm willing to take to find our parents." Waya told him, having nothing better. "And in that case, Forge still lives in Deer Hollow. His time machine works as well as it ever did. We can always try to find him and come back to the proper timeline."
"I... understand." Jeremy said with a slow nod to Waya. He wasn't about to just try and stop these guys from getting their parents back, specially after he wanted his own back... "Wait... you guys have a time machine?" he said, standing up quickly "Why... why don't you just STOP it from happening?"
"The thing about time travel is that-" Junior wasn't often prone to bouts of exceptional intelligence like his Aunt Lyra. He had her DNA, but he'd ended up more with the physical aspects of her mutation more so than her boundless intelligence. Still, he had his moments. "by disrupting that timeline by going back to prevent what happened, you negate any possibility of ever going back in time because you've changed time. By changing that event in history, you destroy the reason for going back, meaning you'll never go back in time, meaning you never changed anything. Do you see what I mean? You can't go back in time to assassinate Hitler before World War two because all the atrocities Hitler committed during WW2 caused you to go back in time in the first place. We can, however, return to any point in time after we left this present. We don't disrupt any timeline and we don't cause a temporal anomaly by trying to change anything in our past. If we leave at 11:45 am and return by noon, we'll be good. And since we're traveling into a separate dimension that isn't ours, their laws don't apply to our reality, so we can take our people from their reality and not blow up the world or anything."
Waya blinked, then smirked. "What he said."
"This is just a waste of time!" Jayden said angrily. "They're dead and you're going to kill yourself trying to go after them. This is pointless!"
"Then don't come if you don't want to!" Waya said, standing. An unoccupied chair whipped off the floor and against the wall. "Just because you've lost hope doesn't mean the rest of us have!"
Jayden stood as well, "Don't use false hope as an excuse to be stupid!"
"Provide proof." George said, staring at the twins patiently.
"Proof of what?!" Jayden snapped, practically growling as he looked at George with fire in his eyes, almost resembling his father in a way.
"Their death." George said gently, gazing down at Jayden "Provide proof... that your parents are dead."
"Because they aren't fucking here, George. That's why. It's been a YEAR and they still aren't here. The world's moved on and so should we!" Jayden shouted.
"And Eliza has no proof that they ARE alive either!" added Jaden, "It's based on a hunch that will probably get us killed to."
"Get out!" Junior said, standing. "If you don't want to go, fine. Don't, but don't get your panties in a twist because the rest of us still give a shit!"
"You have no proof that they are dead, and you have gone dimension hopping several times already. Why would that have killed them?" George said with a little shrug "I have seen the videos of them disappearing. There was practically no blood."
"Fuck you George!" Jayden snapped, deterred from Junior's initial shout for them to get out.
Maribel was stiff, watching the scene unfold nervously. She jumped a bit when Junior stood up and shouted, not expecting it. This portal business was pulling people apart...
George carefully pushed the door open with his foot, letting the twins see the way out.
Jayden ignored George's gesture but was cut off by his brother before he could say more.
"All we are saying is that those who aren't directly involved with this should know the risks before skipping into some unknown world." Jaden argued, though a bit calmer than Jayden.
"No." Waya said. "That is not what you said. We were discussing the situation, talking about the risks, but Jay freaked the hell out about the whole thing. Now... if you're ready to act like adults-" Not that any of them were, but they could act like it. "-we can continue..."
Rhydian sat quietly through the entire episode. He'd already had his little outburst about the whole situation weeks ago. He was glad the twins had gotten it out of their systems, and hoped they were finished. Waya had something planned here, they needed to keep their heads clear and listen.
Veronica was alarmed by the twins' outburst, but it wasn't to be unexpected. They'd voiced on several occasions just how they felt about what happened to their parents. What they said did make sense on a lot of levels. But could they really hold it against everyone else for having a little hope?
"If we do go..." Penelope began, breaking the silence with another question, "Should we bring sandwiches or something?"
"Since we don't know how long those who are going are going to be gone for... something a little more substantial probably." Jeremy said softly "Freeze dried stuff."
"There are rations downstairs." Junior said. "Waya's got this... what is it?"
"Shadow cache." Waya said. "I can store things inside. Like the world's largest purse. I can bring enough food and water, blankets, weapons. Anything we need without getting incumbered. I can also access it with minimal shadow."
Maribel patted Junior's arm to get his attention while the others spoke. she signed, 'When do we leave?' By stating this, she also confessed to him that she intended to come alone too. Considering how things went last time they dimension-hopped, it was an unexpected answer.
"Perhaps I should go through first." George said gently, looking over at Waya "Make sure the world on the other side is perfectly fine and we didn't get any faulty readings. That way no one would get hurt."
"That may be a good idea, George." Waya told him. "We could also test if matter can travel both ways through the worm hole."
Junior looked at Mari. "You don't have to go." He said, placing his hand on her knee. "Last time was... more exciting that it should have been..."
Maribel nodded, not liking to be reminded of how scared she had been. Things were better now. She had a handle on her powers and heck, she might actually be useful. 'I want to help this time.' she told him, not really wanting anyone else to see her signs.
Rhydian was about to speak up and say how George was understating himself again, but he was cut off by Waya's quick answer. He'd have to talk to George before he went through, make sure he was going to be careful...
Jeremy still looked worried, shuffling his legs in his seat "I don't want to lose you guys... but... this kinda stuff worries me."
"You don't have to come, Jeremy." Waya told him. "It'd be good to have someone stay behind and keep an eye on things from this end. I'm sure the twins would like the company."
"I've...had my fill of dimension-hopping for a while..." Veronica admitted quietly, looking down at the table. "I'll stay." She looked over at the twins hopefully, "As long as you guys don't mind..."
"We don't care." Jaden said dismissively, "Do what you want."
Waya ignored the twins. "It's ok, Veronica." She said. "No one has to go who doesn't want to."
"I appreciate that, Waya." Veronica said with a nod. She was a little disappointed that Jaden had been so dismissive with her...
"I think... I'd like to stay behind as well." Jeremy said with a small nod "But is there any way we could get a... message or something? If something goes wrong I mean."
"How will we know if we've got the right dimension?" Rhydian asked curiously. He figured that they wouldn't really be going through if they weren't sure about that.
"I don't think Eliza knows exactly." George said gently "We have close estimations and a way to change the dimensions once we return. The idea is to go, search, and return if they are not there. I believe."
"The way she explained it to me sounded like we might have to do this a few times to get it right." Waya said. "Not to mention the fact that with Hank and Lyra on the other side they might have found a way to travel themselves, making it a little more tricky trying to find them."
The twins had gone quiet, letting these morons discuss amongst themselves. It bothered them that they were so willing to skip off into some unknown universe so easily. It bothered them more that Waya was going... but now they had to just decide if they would go too or stay here.
Junior smiled at Mari and placed his hand on hers. He kissed her temple and didn't say anything.
"So who are those who will be travelling through the portal?" George asked, looking around "Myself, Eliza, Waya, Junior and Rhydian it seems at the moment. Is that all?"
Maribel silently raised a hand, looking a bit bashful that people would look at her decision.
"I was thinking about going too." Penelope said, looking at George. Her arms were crossed just under her breasts and she leaned on one leg, the other planted outward from her hips. Anything to piss her Mom off.
George nodded to Penelope "Thank you." He looked around at the others, wondering if they would be the only ones.
"Maribel raised her hand." Waya told George, though she doubted he'd missed it. "So that leaves the twins, Jeremy and Ver to hold the fort down."
"I'm sure we'll do fine." Jeremy said, looking over at the twins and giving a little smile to them "We're not going to be doing anything too wild."
Seeing that no one answered her, Maribel snapped her fingers and signed, 'When do we leave?'
George's head snapped around to Maribel at a superhuman rate. He still hadn't got all his motions down as exactly human... "The moment we are prepared I believe. This could be tonight... or... if people so request, we could stay for a dinner before we leave, and then go tomorrow morning."
"Not tonight." Waya said. "I need to pack my cache with what we're gonna need and I'm sure Eliza has some things to say about preparing. Maybe tomorrow."
Not wanting to put up with this bullshit anymore, Jayden and Jaden left the rec room. It was agony hearing Waya talk about this. They were going to lose her just like they lost their parents...but how could they stop her? She would just push them away and fight harder to go into the gate.
"Not unexpected..." George said with a little shake of his head "So we should get ready for tomorrow then. Should I go wake up Eliza and inform her about all of this?"
"Let her sleep for now." Waya said. "She deserves it. If we have to postpone till the next day it's ok..."
"Do the newbies get some of those spiffy x-suit things?" Or is this a bring-your-own-uniform sort of deal?" Pen asked.
"We have spares." Junior said. "I'll show you where they are."
"Cool." Penelope said and stood up. She needed to talk to Junior anyway about something completely unrelated to this. "Will I look like a stripper like Waya?" she snickered, shooting the girl a smirk.
"I don't-" Waya paused. She hadn't worn her uniform in a while. She'd forgotten how... revealing it was. These days she didn't wear anything revealing. There was the stint in the Mojoverse, but that hadn't been her fashion choice. "I'll show her where the uniforms are." She told Junior. "You guys can go. I'll call you guys in the morning after I talk to Liz." She got up, nodding her head towards Penelope.
Maribel got up to leave and looked at Junior with a curious expression. She found it odd that Waya offered to help Penelope. As far as she could tell, she didn't like the new girl much.
Penelope was surprised too, but she nodded and walked with Waya to the elevator to the lower level locker room
Jeremy let out a little groan as he stood up and stretched. He really didn't like this idea either, but he wasn't going to try to stop them from going. He would do anything to get his parents back. "I don't suppose I can talk to this guy with the time machine some more could I?" he asked vaguely towards Junior and Rhydian.
"You mean Forge?" Rhydian asked him curiously. He had kind of zoned out watching Waya walk out of the room. He shook his head a little and looked at Jeremy.
"Sure... him... lets go talk to him." Jeremy muttered, rubbing his chin "Do we have his number on speed dial or what?"
"I can certainly try to get a hold of him." Rhydian offered, it was Forge after all who'd repaired the record player for him. "But he's become quite the introvert. Since the incident, he's been working nonstop on building something to get Storm back."
"well... I dunno, maybe I could help it. It's a good idea to... to talk to him..." Jeremy said with a rub of his eyes. This guy was looking for someone he loved as well...
"You can't change time like that." Junior said. "Same reason I explained it to Penelope. You can't change the event that makes you go back in time in the first place. Because if you chance it you never go back in time, meaning it still happens. It doesn't work."
"What if I talked to myself? Left a note or something?" Jeremy muttered, rubbing his neck slowly "Or... or change it so it really has changed but I doesn't seem like it to my past self..."
"Why?" Maribel asked, seeing that the boys hadn't.
Junior didn't see Mari's question, so he ignored her without meaning to. The answer to her question was in what he told Jeremy any way. "You still went back for a specific reason." Junior said. "If someone went back in time to kill Hitler and accidentally killed JFK then it's different. JFK stays dead, but you still let the holocaust happen. You can't go back in time to stop something. Because the something you're trying to stop is the exact reason you want back in the first place. If you stop it from happening, you never went back in time, meaning you never stopped it. It doesn't work.
"It's not something big." Jeremy said, his eyes had flashed to Maribel when she'd 'spoken' but he hadn't drawn attention to her because her question had just been answered "Something small, something... personal."
'If it's small, you don't have to go back in time to fix it.' Mari said, 'You accept and move on.'
"You can't go back in time to change the reason why you went back. It just isn't possible..." Rhydian tried to explain. He scratched his head after a moment, "Not unless... unless there was some sort of paradox machine that would counteract the grandfather paradox. It's simply impossible to do.."
Jeremy went quiet, feeling a little sigh as he just stood there. "I... I'd like to talk to this Forge guy anyway... just a little..." he wanted to try, wanted to give this a shot and not just let it drop.
"You still talk to him sometimes right, Rhydian?" Junior asked.
"Yeah, yeah I do." Rhydian replied with a nod. He looked at Jeremy, "Look, I'll see what I can do. But he isn't very helpful these days..."
"No, no I get it." Jeremy said with a little sigh, waving at Junior and Rhydian "It's a long shot, if not just plain impossible... But it would be nice to talk."
"I'll see what I can do." Rhydian tried to assure him. He'd mention the paradox machine to Forge as well, it might be enough of a hint to help him out in the future or something as well.
Maribel didn't like this. They were about to go into a parellel universe tomorrow and Jeremy wanted to time travel? Why? He seemed to be avoiding the question completely. It made her sad that he wanted to 'fix' something in the past but didn't want to talk to them about it.
George let out a small, fake cough. "Well then..." he said softly, giving everyone a little nod "I have... something to take care of. If you'll excuse me." He turned, wanting to head out and go back to what he'd been doing earlier.
"Come on Mari..." Junior said. "Lets go see what trouble we can get into before tomorrow."
Maribel wasn't certain what that meant, but followed him out anyway. She was nervous about tomorrow... but over the past few weeks, had begun to feel a bit more comfortable in her skin and confident in her abilities. She wanted to help this time.
"I'll go give Forge a call, see what I can manage for you, Jeremy." Rhydian told him, trying to be confident. It had taken a lot to get Forge to focus on the present for Waya. He hoped whatever Jeremy was planning was going to be interesting enough for Forge to pry his ever busy mind away from his projects.
"Should I... go with you or would you rather... talk in private?" Jeremy said, looking a little lost right now. He wanted to try... he wanted to try and go back and change things.
"I guess you could come along. Might help if he hears the idea from you." Rhydian offered with a shrug. Talking to Forge wasn't exactly something that was a private matter.
Jeremy nodded, waving a hand towards the door and waiting for Rhydian to lead the way. This kinda frightened him... the idea that it might fail, and the idea that it might work.
Rhydian headed for the door. The easiest way to get a hold of Forge was downstairs in the war room x.
Jeremy followed, trying to figure out if he should be skipping or feeling doom hanging over his head.
Stumble!