#aviaoc

[i-eat-worlds]

Alex & Friends Part 21-Hurry Up and Wait

Wolfman, Elemental, Phoenix belong to @pigeonwhumps

cw: revenge, hostage situations, violence, blood

Avia tried not to hold her breath as she creeped through the tunnel with the rest of the heroes. As they approached, she could hear the quiet hum of the force-field growing louder. The tunnel was long and straight, walls lined with pipes and wiring.

Wolfman raised his fist, signaling them to stop. Everyone pressed themselves against the side walls, hoping that the team up top would be able to convince them to lower their shields. They waited for what seemed like ages, staring at the light purple mirage that prevented them from going any further.

At last, the force field finally dissipated, humming slowly fading away. Wolfman gestured for them to move forward. They advanced until they came upon a ladder that led out of the tunnel. After they double-checked the number to make sure they had the correct pier, Elemental climbed up the ladder.

With a well placed hand and a little channeling of fire, he melted the lock open and swung the door open. Avia fell in with the rest of the team as they ascended the ladder. The ladder’s passageway grew tight around them, and she could feel her back just barely brushing against the opposite side.

They came to a halt on the ladder, waiting for Wolfman to relay to them that it was time to go. Avia leaned back, resting her bum on the opposite side of the passageway so her legs wouldn’t get too tired. She tried to listen in, but she couldn’t hear anything because of the solid block of concrete the passage was encased in. There was nothing but silence.

She leaned her head against the wall. INSUPA always took her to the nicest places.

***

The pit in Alex’s stomach deepened as Eric led them up to the higher deck. She could feel the bile rising in her throat, and she willed it to stay down. Now was not the time for this. Eric had committed to the act, standing behind her and gripping her like she was a captive. He’d spared her the cuffs, thank goodness. They always gave her massive headaches.

“We’re here,” Eric called voice somehow steady. “Show yourself.” He squeezed her wrist comfortingly.

Ice cold fear stabbed at her heart as Zorland stepped out from behind some machinery. He was holding a terrified hero against his chest, pressing a claw against their throat. The hero was covered in blood, most of it fresh. She soon realized why; Zorland had deeply cut the side of their throat with his claw. The hero was definitely immortal, then.

Prison had taken Zorland’s grandeur. Stubble had filled in his once clean-shaven jaw, and exorbitantly priced suits he used to fawn over had been replaced by bright orange prison scrubs. His stare was still as cold and calculating as before, and he was no less terrifying.

“Good to see you again, traitorous bitch.” As he spoke, he dug his claw into the hero’s throat, and a chill ran down Alex’s spine. “I’m glad they finally figured out what you're worth, Olena.” He practically spat her name.

“Give us Firebird, Zorland,” Eric said, ignoring his speech.

“Do you have my boat?” He asked instead. “Have they given me immunity?” Slowly, he started to press his claw down harder.

“Boat’s waiting for you down there.” Eric pointed at the orange watercraft floating in the water. “Immunity’s in the works. But we can’t go anywhere until you give me Firebird.”

“Give her to me first.” He demanded, pulling the bleeding hero closer.

“Count of three?” Eric suggested. His comms were open, so Wolfman could hear.

“Count of three,” Zorland agreed. Alex’s stomach did a backflip as Eric adjusted his grip on her back. “Three…”

“Two…”

“One.”

Taglist: @/pigeonwhumps @rainydaywhump

[i-eat-worlds]

Alex & Friends Part 7: Respite

Alex gets a break. Team fluff kinda. cw: literally nothing. Like minor Trauma.

Alex had enjoyed her four hours of sleep. Joseph had gone with her to get a change of clothes, then showed her to the guest bunks. After a quick shower, she peeled off her soaking, cut up clothes and changed into the fresh set. Finally, she crawled into bed. There was no tossing and turning while trying to get to sleep. Alex dropped straight in a dreamless coma almost immediately. Her alarm rudely roused her four hours later. For a brief moment, she stretched and yawned, then rolled out of bed. She quickly remade the guest bunk, laced up her boots, and made her way to the chow hall for breakfast. Debrief was at seven sharp, and she needed to eat.

It was strange being back in an INSUPA Center after two years away. She hadn’t slid her arms into the black uniform jacket in ages. It felt odd to mark herself so obviously as a member. Alex had spent the better part of a year integrating herself within Shadow, and here she was, wearing the orange and blue logo of the organization that she had needed to disappear from. Now, she was surrounded by it. Smack-dab on everyone’s shoulder.

The longest line in the chow hall was for the coffee machine, which Alex bypassed for the food. Her tray was quickly filled with eggs, bacon, sausage, and a cinnamon roll that was liberally dribbled in icing. While the rest of the food was about average, INSUPA chow halls could make a killer cinnamon roll. Alex shoveled food into her mouth, leaving no survivors. Recently, she’d been living off of various take out places and less than tasty ration packs, so abundant quantities of palatable food was a minor miracle. She saved the cinnamon roll for last, unraveling the pastry with her fork. Her stomach filled, she snagged an energy drink from the cooler. They were not her preferred manner of caffeination, but the coffee line was seriously ridiculous. Now all she had to do was nd her way to the debriefing room.

*********

Eric reclined in one of the office chairs that surrounded the large table in conference room 2A. The famous conference room 2A. Every INSUPA Center had one, the room where INSUPA’s “best of the best” teams were briefed. They were all over TV, Superheroes in their custom uniforms informing the public of another success. The visible faces of powered people everywhere.

Of course, reality is far less glamorous. The 2A conference room is used by just about any INSUPA team, and very few powered people could lift up cars and throw them, zap people with lighting, or whatever else that the “best of the best” did. In Eric’s experience, the people with more “mundane” powers were not only far more helpful, they also could keep their ego in check. They were good team players. Speaking of his team, they’d all arrived in 2A. Joseph, his second in command, sat across the table from him. He sorted through a file folder, but every now and then, his eyes flickered over to Aarav. Fair enough, seeing as less than twelve hours ago, Joseph had been cradling their bleeding, concussed head in his hands. Aarav was the youngest member of the team, and Joseph had taken a little bit of a shine to them. So had Avia. She was sitting next to him, chatting about a video game. Avia had been on the team for a fairly long time, and Eric had met very few people who could kick ass as well as they could. Across from Avia was Teri, headphones wrapped around her skull, attention absorbed by her laptop screen. Eric highly doubted she’d slept at all last night. While the rest of them were sleeping, she’d been deep in the guts of cyberspace, searching for answers. As always, Sil came in last, a giant can of monster energy in his hand, wearing his signature beanie. Taking a sip of his beverage, he sat down next to Alexis and popped his legs up on the table.

Alexis was an interesting new addition to the room. She looked uncomfortable in the space. Her borrowed uniform didn’t fit quite right, and she kept tugging down the collar. He’d sat back down in his chair. “She’s surprisingly good at wound care.” Were the only words that left his mouth. The final person in the room was Senior Administrator Nicki Rudick. Her hands sat folded in front of her, her gray admin uniform crisp. She stood in the far corner of the room, to the side of several TV screens. Rudick checked her watch, then stepped forward. “Good Morning, Turquoise Team.”

Tag list: @pigeonwhumps

[i-eat-worlds]

Alex & Friends Part Six: Evacuation

Some proper Aarav whump. Cw: medical whump, descriptions of pain and injuries, vomiting,

Aarav didn’t remember much, but he remembered enough to know that whatever happened to him hadn’t been pretty. He had been hanging out of the back of a van, calling on his avian friends when he suddenly wasn’t. He went up, then went down. That’s where the hole is. Aarav knows that something happened, but he couldn’t tell you what for the life of him. The next memories are hazy, starting with Joseph grinding his knuckles into his sternum. He’s sprawled out on pavement, and he can feel the rough asphalt grinding against his skin. It’s dark, but he can make out Joseph’s face looming over him, oddly shadowed by the streetlights.

Everything hurt. Pain radiated up his leg, like someone had smashed it with a hammer. A headache pulsed in time with his heartbeat. His ribs felt they were on fire. It felt like he'd been shaken and stirred and dumped into a martini glass. The left side of his face burned in the night air. He let out a quiet moan. Joseph’s hands were all over him. They secured a rigid plastic c-collar around his neck, then moved down to his leg, where he felt something close around his shin. Joseph was talking. Maybe to him? Aarav wasn’t sure. Another set of hands-Avia’s, most likely-rolled him onto his side, and he was strapped down to something.

He groaned with the movement. It hurt. Everything hurt. “We gotcha,” Avia reassured him. “You’re in good hands. You know that.” His eyes drifted closed again.

The next time Aarav surfaced, it was in the back of a car that was noticeably not theirs. “We’re gonna get you the good stuff.” Joseph said, holding something in his gloved hand. “Little prick.” Something bore into his arm. Avia was pressing something soft against his cheek. He could taste metal in his mouth. He felt something rush into his veins, and the pain in his leg and the sting in his cheek dulled. Joseph’s hands patted him down again, checking to make sure he had located all of the injuries. It felt kind of good, if Aarav was honest. His hands came to their final resting place on his neck. “We’re about five minutes out.” Somebody, probably Eric, said. Joseph smiled at that. Well, he stopped frowning a little bit. Suddenly, Aarav felt something rising in his throat. He extended his hand, grasping at Joseph’s knee. He couldn’t quite find the juice to produce words, but the medic seemed to understand what was happening anyway. “He’s vomiting!” Joseph hoisted him onto his right side as bile rushed up his throat and poured out of his mouth. Aarav whimpered with misery. His throat burned. “I know it sucks, Aarav. You’re doing great.” Joseph said, his hand resting comfortingly on Aarav’s shoulder.

Avia’s voice echoed similar words. They followed him into the darkness as he slipped away again. He knew he was safe with his team by his side. He knew Joseph would walk over hot coals before he let something happen to a teammate. The darkness was quiet, but it was not lonely. The third time that Aarav awoke, he knew he was in a medbay. The blinding lights, the disinfectant smell, and the scratchy sheets made his location plainly obvious. He felt signicantly better, though. His nausea and headache were gone, and his ribs no longer protested with every breath. Thank fuck for healers.

He sensed movement in his peripheral vision, and rolled his head over to find his boss sat by his bedside, laptop perched on his legs. His ngers typed away diligently, until he made eye contact. “Nice to have you back, Ahuja.” He shut the lid of his laptop and set it to the side. “How do you feel?” “Like I got thrown out of a moving van.” Aarav said, voice scratchy. “I forgot how exhausting healing was.”

“Doc said you’ll probably be feeling like shit for a couple days.” Eric said, grabbing the water cup from the bedside table.

Aarav slurped down nearly half the cup before he spoke again. “Plenty of time for report writing.” He joked.

“Can’t do the work if the muckety-mucks can’t read about it.” Eric returned. He checked his watch. “We’ve got a debriefing in about twenty minutes. You feel up to coming?”

Aarav smiled. “I wouldn’t miss one of Rudick’s chats for the world.”

Tag list: @pigeonwhumps

[i-eat-worlds]

Alex and Friends Part Three-Medical Attention

It which Alex gets some much needed help, and things get worse before they get better. Cw: medical stuff, needles, spy whump, car crashes, cursing, blood

While Alex’s escape attempt hadn’t been successful at getting her out of the van, it had been successful at soundly disrupting her rescuer’s medical setup. After she’d calmed down, the man from the hallway, Joseph he’d said, who seemed to be the team's lead medic, took charge of cleaning up her mess. That was a surprise, considering that she had intentionally crushed his windpipe just a couple minutes earlier. He was also surprisingly open about explaining what was going on. “My biggest concern right now is hypothermia.” Joseph explained as he pulled the blanket that Alex had knocked off in her haste to escape back over her legs. Her pants and shirt were cut open, rendering her essentially naked. Alex wasn’t really surprised by her near-nudity. That didn’t make her happy about it, but naked and warm was better than clothed and freezing. At least they’d let her keep her underwear. Good, high-impact sports bras were expensive. Joseph wrapped another blanket around her torso, though he left her injured hip uncovered. The skin around the site was bloody, though now mostly covered by bandages. Her left thigh was streaked with blood from the wound. It’d been long enough that it was starting to dry and become crusty. Unlike the fresh, wet blood trickling down from her elbow.

Why was her arm bleeding? Alex looked up to find a dark red bag hanging over her, then back down at her arm. She’d torn out an IV. Before she could reach out and press on her own bleeding limb, Joseph's hand was there. “I’m gonna need to restick ya, sorry.”

Alex took the moment to scan the three other people also in the back of the van. She really should’ve done it before she made a run for the door, but blood loss wasn’t known for improving decision making. Besides, she didn’t really want to watch Joseph sink a needle into her arm. The other man who’d been with her in the hallway wasn’t seated in the back of the van. He might have been up front, or in a dierent car. The three others who had held her down were there instead. It was what looked like two women and a man, but Alex didn’t jump to conclusions. The amount of times she’d switched back and forth to throw someone off her tail meant that first impressions could easily be misleading. The first person had tucked themself back into a corner, like they’d already moved past the ruckus Alex had caused. They wore a pair of bulky headphones over their ears, and a laptop sat perched on their knees. Several cords ran from it to somewhere on the van, and they were totally absorbed. Alex decided to dub them Headphones.

Number two, the second maybe-woman, reminded Alex a lot more of herself. They sat alert, examining eyes xed on Alex. Not jumpy, not nervous, just watching, ready to strike. Like a Hawk, which was going to become a nickname. They were also by far the most armed member of the group, but were clearly trying not to advertise that. Alex could make out the bulge of several guns concealed under clothing, one at the ankle, and another under the armpit. Hawk-face also kept their knife in the same place that Alex kept hers. If Alex found herself in need of a weapon, she decided it was Hawk-face it would be coming from.

Joseph had moved down to checking her hip wound when she finally got to the last person in the van. They were the most masculine of the three. Unlike hawk-face, they looked relaxed, leaning against the wall of the van, fingers drumming lazily on their leg. A giant backpack was sitting next to them. The giant backpack was of interest, because almost as soon as Alex laid eyes on it, it was tumbling to the ground. Anything not tied down was flung across the back of the van as it took a sharp corner. Headphones looked up from their computer. “We’re being chased. Two vehicles. Aggressive sports car idiots.” Hawk-Face cursed. “Sil have a plan yet, or is it just ‘go faster.’”

“He’s asking for a distraction.” Headphones said. “Pigeon Boy?” She gestured at the guy who’d been sitting next to the backpack. “Sure, but I’ll need to be outside. And within sight.” Pigeon Boy, can’t beat that nickname, stood up, bracing his arm against the wall for support.

“I can do that.” Hawk-Face said stoically, also standing up. They moved towards the back of the van. “I’ll open the door, hold you, and you can do your bird-call thingy.”

“Don’t drop me.” Pigeon Boy said, moving into position.

“I’d never.” Hawk Face said. Their hand wrapped securely around Pigeon Boy’s chest, and the other went to the handle on the back o the van doors. “Three, two, one!” Hawk Face counted down.

The back door of the van was pushed open, and Pigeon Boy leaned out. Alex heard a loud calling noise, then the fluttering of bird wings. Headphones smiled a little bit. “Good job, Pigeoner,” She said.

Alex was sure she would have said more, but then the world tilted. The van skidded across the road, landing on its side. Everyone in the van was thrown around, hurled from one side to the other. It was only when Alex impacted the oor of the van that she realized what had happened. The van had flipped onto its side. Something had hit it.

And, due to the lack of alternative options, it had to be the same people who’d made her swim.

Shit.

Taglist: @pigeonwhumps

[i-eat-worlds]

Alex & Friends Part 8-Assignment

hey look it’s finally here. Let’s meet some people! Also some important plot stuff happens. Let’s meet our whumper! Masterlist

cw: pretty chill, character relieving bad memories,

“Good morning, Turquoise Team.” A person wearing a crisp gray uniform stood adjacent to several large screens. Between the generously padded chairs surrounded and solid wood conference table, this had to be one of the nicer rooms that Alex had been debriefed in. “I hope y’all slept well, cause this one’s a doozy.” “Before we get started, let’s get everyone properly introduced. I’m Senior Administrator Rudick. Foster, want to introduce them?” The first man from the alley waved a little bit. “Sure, Rudick.” He gestured to himself. “I’m Eric, He/Him, I’m the team lead.” Alex had been right about that. “You’ve met Joseph, he’s our medic.” He pointed at hawk face, “That’s Avia, She/They, resident ass kicker, across from her Dr. Santos, Sher/Her, our tech wizard.” Headphones smiled when she was introduced. Eric pointed further down the table “Guy in the beanie is Sil, He/Him, he’s our transportation specialist.” Sil made a snickering noise. “That just means I drive fast.”

“And hopefully in a straight line.” Eric joked. “Last one is Aarav, He/They, he’s the SAR guy, kills at hide n’ seek.”

“I’m Alex, She/Her, Surveillance and Intelligence group.” She introduced. Alex couldn’t help the pang of jealousy-or was it sadness-in her chest. She’d never really had a team like this, a group of people to fall back on. It was the nature of her work, solitary and confining. That was simply the way things had to be. “Now that we’ve met, a quick review.” She fiddled with her tablet for a moment. “Four days ago, a hit was placed on the dark web, offering two million dollars for the assassination of an ‘Olena Lepshev.’ Along with the name were other details, date and place of birth, last known locations, and this photo.” A photo of herself appeared on the monitor, a screencap from surveillance video of a train station. “This was agged by an analyst, since it matched details of a former alias.” Rudick turned to her. “Because the LKA was so close to your current one, and we could document several groups moving towards it, the call was made to evacuate you.” She remembered getting the call from her handler. “Heads up, somebody wants you dead, call you back when we know who.” Alex could guess who it was, though. While she’d used Olena Lepshev many times, in many different places, there was really only one person who’d pay two million dollars to see her corpse. Albert Zorland. Her breathing quickened just thinking about him, but she made herself calm. He was in prison, Alex reminded herself, he can’t ever hurt you again. “We’ve had two major developments since your return. Firstly, it appears that your pursuers were the Andros Brothers. Teleporting murders and thieves for hire. They were the first to arrive, but an operative for Devlin Corp. was also in Prague at the time, and Darksea expressed interest, so we’re assuming that multiple groups are making an attempt.” Wonderful. Several mercenary organizations were trying to kill her. Two million bucks is a powerful motivator. “Secondly, with the help of Dr. Santos, we were nally able to pin down the origin of the hit.” Alex rubbed her hands against each other under the table. She hoped that she was wrong. She hoped that it was not who she thought it was. “It traced back to a server in Greece. It’s used by several dierent companies, mainly an LLC called Raven Industries. Further digging revealed that it is one of many shells owned by now incarcerated super villain Albert Zorland.”

There it was. Every time Alex thought he was gone, banished from her life forever, he always reappeared. As much as she tried to, she couldn’t ignore the way fear spiked in her heart and how her stomach dropped. She hated how the thought of him, of his fake smile and crass laughter, reduced her to nothing. She hated how sometimes she could feel his clammy hands on her skin. It made her skin crawl and her stomach lurch with nausea.

“Because of the serious nature of this threat, Turquoise Team has been assigned as a protective detail for you, Shevchenko.” Alex tried not to frustratedly sigh at that. She failed. “We have an open safe house in London. Plane departs an hour, ten hours sharp. Pack up your stu and I’ll see you on the tarmac. Any questions?”

Sil raised his hand. “Will there be food on the plane?” He asked. Rudick sighed like she did this too much. “Bring your own snacks. Any other questions?” Everybody looked at each other, as if to answer no. “Great. Dismissed.”

Tagging: @pigeonwhumps

[i-eat-worlds]

Alex & Friends Part Four: Collision

Tittle says it all. Pigeoner Whump!

CW: car crash aftermath, medical stuff, medical talk, grand theft auto

Alex tried to ignore the pain that spread through her leg as she struggled to stand. She’d been tossed to the back of the van, and now she needed to get to the doors. Said van was currently on its side, which made everything harder. All of the equipment-and people -in the van were all blocking the way to the exit.

Moving was exhausting. Alex had to essentially drag her injured leg behind her, and the IV had been torn out again. The trickle of blood running down her arm had returned. Hawk Face and Headphones were pinned under the stretcher. Joseph was trying to lift it o of them, but it wasn’t working. They were both conscious, but they couldn’t go anywhere. “Need help?” She rasped, gripping the bright yellow bar. Joseph looked up. “Sure. How’re you?”

“Shit.” Alex said. “Lift on three?” “Yep,” Joseph confirmed, then counted down. Together, they were able to lift the heavy stretcher. Hawk Face and Headphones quickly crawled out from underneath.

It took Headphones several seconds to stand, but Hawk Face sprung up immediately, primed for action. A worried look crossed her face.

“Where’s Aa-Pigeoner?” She corrected.

“I don’t know.” Joseph said, fiddling with the door mechanism. “Exhale to Unshakable. Exhale to Unshakeable.” He tried. Alex could see his face relax when he got an answer. “We’re working on escaping.” He turned back. “Can you help me open it?”

After some pushing, shoving, and grunting, they were able to force the door open. The smell of burnt rubber filled her nostrils as the group pushed themselves out of the toppled van. Even though it hurt like hell, she was able to get out on her own. She willed her leg to not collapse on her as she quickly surveyed the crash site. The van had spun, flipped, and crumpled. The car that had hit it was even worse off. It was empty, the iridescent green stains of a teleporter visible under the dim streetlights. Beyond that, she could see the first man from the alley, helping another person climb out of the van. The sound of a miserable scream for help caused Alex to whip her head around, searching for the source.

Her eyes landed on Hawk Face, kneeling next to Pigeoner. His face was bloodied, and his breathing was shallow. Their hands moved frantically over Pigeoner’s unmoving body. Joseph was next to him in an instant, handing out orders to Hawk Face. “Get the aid kit from the van.” “On it.” Hawk Face moved quickly, retrieving the bag. The first man, who Alex now assumed was the team leader, was walking back towards Joseph. “Sil’s working on alternative transportation. How’s he doing?”

Joseph didn’t look up from his work as he gave a quick report. “I'm most worried about a spine injury or a skull fracture, GCS 8.” He paused his report to count down as he and Hawk Face rolled their injured teammate onto a backboard. “Airway is clear, but breathing is labored and I suspect closed PTX from impact. Some soft tissue shit going on, nasty lac on his left cheek. He needs the closest center we can get too.” While he did this, he nished strapping Pigeoner down.

Behind Alex, and engine rev’d. Sil, Alex guessed, had…acquired…a vehicle for them. A dull red station wagon smoothly pulled up beside where Pigeoner was, and everybody loaded up as fast as they could. The back seats were pushed down to allow the backboard to slide in. Everybody piled in around them, giving Joseph as much room as they could. Alex curled up in a corner, ignoring the way her hip protested as the car sped off into the night.

Taglist: @pigeonwhumps

[i-eat-worlds]

Alex & Friends Picrews!

Made with cherry carat’s oc creator. If you have any questions about any of them asks are open!

Eric Foster (He/Him) | “Unsakeable” | Superpower: invulnerability

Alexis Shevchenko (She/Her) | “Midnight” | Superpower: night vision

Avia Ruyintan (She/They) |“Glare”|Superpower: Enhanced hearing and eyesight, enhanced reflexes

Dr. Teri Santos (She/Her) | “Electric Rose” | Superpower: Enhanced memory, Minor telekinesis

Joesph Schneider (He/Him) | “Exhale” | Superpower: Can breathe in almost any fluid.

Silvestre “Sil” Bernard (He/Him) | “Racer” | Superpower: Enhanced Reflexes and night vision

Aarav Ahuja (He/They) | “Pigeoner” | Superpower: Communication with birds, particularly pigeons

@pigeonwhumps