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 Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 3:25 pm
"Environmental playback initiated." the ring said, seeming to work autonomously, and the ring projected out a holographic image of the events leading up to Carlie's electrocution: Inertia wandering toward the Ferris house and tossing a bottle, being confronted by Carol (who was shown in her Star Sapphire attire), and then the appearance of Carlie, who attempted to at least make a friendly impression on Inertia-- and was severely, mercilessly electrocuted and tossed aside like a ragdoll for her trouble. It showed Carlie using her ring to call desperately for her father, who appeared, his own ring active, while in the meantime Carol engaged Inertia in a fit of motherly rage.
The scene dissolved and cut to Carlie and Hal arriving at the Coast City General Hospital, showing the ring itself explaining to the doctors how badly Carlie had been injured, and then showed Hal speaking to the little boy who had asked if Carlie was going to be okay.
All the sounds and dialogue recorded by the ring were toned down so that May could hear, but it would not alert any of the doctors.
"Environmental playback ended." the ring said as the recordings ended, and the holographic, full-color images dissolved, leaving the room in silence once more.
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 3:39 pm
May watched with wide eyes as the ring showed her what was possibly the most violent and tear-inducing home movie she'd ever seen. The girl in the bed, whom had introduced herself as "Carlie" in the hologram, deserved nothing that the other person, Inertia, had done to her. As if she couldn't believe what she was seeing, May removed her mask and gripped it tight as she couldn't pull her eyes away from the ensuing fight. She wrung the fabric in her hand and frowned, looking at the floor as the picture dissolved. Spider-Girl was silent for several moments before looking back to the girl with pity in her soft, blue eyes. "I'm so sorry..." She whispered to Carlie's form, placing her hands on the end of the hospital bed. May looked again to the ring.
'What is this thing? Some sort of super-technology? Magic? No... too computerized for magic... but then again, maybe magic would get all these questions away... yeah, magic would be acceptable at this point.'
With a sigh, May let her head hang. Now she was confused and angry. How could this "Inertia" person do that? Weren't there any sort of heroes in this... Coast City? Then she remembered the two, Carlie's mother and father, fight off against her. She just hoped she got what was coming to her. "Is she... y'know... gonna be okay? I mean, she got it pretty bad... and, again, Green Lanterns? Who are they?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 3:51 pm
"This ringbearer's condition is stabilized, but projected healing time for internal injuries is placed at several weeks of terrestrial time." the ring replied. "The Green Lantern Corps is an intergalactic peacekeeping force that operates throughout the known universe, and has done so for approximately three billion years." it continued, answering her other question. "Currently, nearly all 7,200 Corpsmen have disappeared, as have the Guardians of the Universe, who started the Corps. This ringbearer and her father are two of the few active Lanterns in the universe now."
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 4:14 pm
Lowering her eyes down to the foot of the hospital bed, May shot right back up once the ring informed her about the disappearance of, what she was just told, was an intergalactic peacekeeping force.
'Disappeared!? An entire space police-army disappeared!? Things are way weirder than I had thought...'
"Uh... Mr. Ring? Could you maybe, also have the answer as to what's going on? I mean... I can't remember anything about where I just was or what I was doing... it's like... I just showed up here. Know anything about that?" May's eyes were focused on the steady breathing of Carlie's body.
'Poor girl... there's got to be something I can do to help...'
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 4:38 pm
The ring, in response, launched into a brief explanation of the Multiversal Merge. When it was finished, it said: "Course of action taken: Cellular regeneration abilities activated. This will considerably shorten the healing process for this ringbearer."
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 4:48 pm
During the explanation the ring gave, May's thoughts began to race. Another universe? More than one? All running together? As if it all weren't strange enough. But now, offered explanation in mind, she sighed and took a step back. "Multiverse..." She said quietly to herself, testing the word. Her thoughts were interrupted as the ring announced it would bring Carlie back to health faster. May gave a small smile of relief, even for a stranger that was good news to hear, and she backed up and sat in the chair on the wall across from the bed. Leaning forward she looked back to Carlie. "That's good... she shouldn't have to be in this place any longer than she needs to be... umm... thanks... Mr. Ring."
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 4:55 pm
"Thanks are not necessary. This unit is doing what is in the best interest of it's user-- Alert! User is reacting to outside stimuli; Silent mode activated."
And with that, the ring fell silent as Carlie Jordan struggled to open her eyes. It was unknown exact how she was waking up-- possibly due to the ring's interference with the meds given to her.
"Ugh... Whuzgoinon...?" Carlie muttered as her heavy eyelids struggled to open. She felt numb, and very groggy, and she didn't register May being in the room. Her heart rate slowly started to pick up, as well.
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:00 pm
May's attention focused as Carlie began to wake from her drug-induced sleep. Slowly, trying her best not to startle the poor girl, she stood and made for the side of the bed. She offered a small smile to the waking Carlie as she came to stand beside her. "I would try and tell you but... I didn't exactly take notes on everything your ring just told me..." She said softly. "How are you feeling?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:05 pm
Carlie didn't register everything May said; she sounded muffled, and it was difficult to understand her.
"Ugh... Tahiti is not in Europe... That's what Miss Frizzle said..." she mumbled, still trying to wake up. She groaned again, and looked to May, the girl slowly coming into focus.
"Wh-who're... You...?" she asked May.
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:10 pm
May chuckled at Carlie's foggy ramblings and kept focused on the girl until she finished speaking, and she was convinced her words would actually get through to the clouded mind she had. She raised a hand and put it on her chest. "I'm May Parker. You can call me Mayday... most people do." May offered a reassuring smile. "Now, how are you feeling, Carlie?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:17 pm
Carlie grunted again, her mind beginning to clear. "May... Mayday... Ohmahgawd, we're... We're goin' down..." she muttered, then made a soft, drunken laugh.
"Oh God... Last... Last thing I remember is... is going to the hospital... And feeling pain. A... a s**t-ton of pain..."
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:22 pm
Suppressing her laugh to a giggle at Carlie's drunken muttering, May nodded slowly at her expected reaction. "Yeah... I heard you were electrocuted... that doesn't seem like something you just get back up from." She placed a hand gently on Carlie's shoulder. "But you're okay now... at least, that's what your ring said... I suppose if you can't trust a talking space-ring, who can you trust?" She chuckled, trying to get the girl go along with it. Laughter was the best medicine, after all.
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:33 pm
Carlie let out a breath through her nose. "Heh... I guess..."
She was beginning to get back up to speed now. Her heart rate was approaching the standard 90 beats per minute, and already she was beginning to feel better. She looked May up and down, noting the costume. "So... May Parker, huh? Never heard of you... I'm Carlie Jordan, but... Everybody calls me C.J. Well... Almost everyone. My Home Studies teacher, Mr. O'Donnell... he always used my last name. Old p***k... Never did like me enough to use my nickname. Hate that class..."
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:40 pm
May also looked down when she noticed the girl's eyes on her costume, realizing she was still, in fact, wearing it. Looking back up, she spoke, retaining her smile. "Well, I can't say I've ever heard of you either, C.J... at least not before today..." She sighed before being struck with a realization; there was no real point in keeping her identity a secret. Whatever was going on with this 'Multiverse' business, there was obviously something bigger at play. With this realization in hand, May looked to the back wall of the room and flicked her wrist at it. Activating the web-shooter on her forearm, a thin stream of webbing latched to one of the chairs and she yanked it back readily. Catching the chair with ease, she set it behind her and sat down.
"And trust me, I know where you're coming from..." She continued, "My basketball coach, Mrs. Lorne... jeez... glad I quit... never looked back." May looked down for a moment before she met Carlie's eyes again. "And, the reason I don't think we've met before might have to do with this... Merge-thing... your ring told me about it, I dunno."
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:45 pm
Carlie's eyes widened as she watched the display. "Well, s**t. Watch out, we got a badass over here..." she said, and she was actually able to throw her hands up-- slowly-- to make the motion associated with the meme.
"Yeah, I learned about the Merge when I first arrived. Kind of hard to wrap my head around at first."
By this point in time, doctors were coming to the room, drawn due to monitoring Carlie's heart rate. Despite May's belief that keeping her identity secret didn't matter, it was still probably best if she hid somehow.
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