April - Memories

April's eyes fluttered closed and she collapsed to the ground. Memories flitted across her vision, one after the other.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A younger her, seeing The Mother for the first time.

But she was different... dormant.

She'd tried to revive her. Why had she done that? She couldn't remember...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That's right... It was the General. He'd recruited her. He'd told her to revive The Mother, but she didn't know why. He'd assigned her and Tate on a mission. Tate was different then...

Distant, closed off...

They were supposed to work together, but...

He wouldn't let her in.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They were sent to Granite Falls to retrieve a book from the hermit that lived there... Tate was more relaxed there, out in nature. 

They had gotten to know each other. Tate told her about his sister, Honey... She'd gone missing, along with some others in Strangerville. He was just trying to find her. The disappearances in Strangerville...were they linked to The Mother somehow?

Then she'd gotten hurt.

Tate had bandaged her arm.

April thought he had almost kissed her then...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Then she remembered the scars she'd seen all down his back.

She hadn't meant to walk in on him.

How had he gotten them?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

General Grunt had sent them to get that book to help him revive The Mother. When they got it, April started to second guess their mission. Her and Tate had fought.

She wanted to quit and leave the military and Strangerville behind.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She'd tried to leave once they had gotten back.

Tate had stopped her.

She'd yelled at him to just let her go.

If he was helping to revive that...that thing, then she wanted nothing to do with...

Oh...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She'd asked about his scars. He'd also tried to leave the military. The General had him beaten. That's why he'd stopped her from leaving. 

They decided they would figure out what was going on and once they revived The Mother and finished their mission, they'd defeat her again...for good.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They went together to the lab.

They found a secret storage area.

There they had found all those who had gone missing. And Tate found his sister.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The person responsible for the kidnappings had been locked up. 

But April knew... The General had been working with Loki. They needed test subjects for something...

Was all of this...for Lyla?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

And then she remembered the strange lights... She'd gone out to see what they were, and then she was being taken up... And then she woke up in that field where Tate had found her. 

And amid the jumble of memories, another vision.

It was like the first vision she had seen, but Lyla's ghost was there. She was trying to tell Buzz something, but he couldn't hear her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When she came to, she was back at the barracks. Someone was holding her. Had Tate carried her all the way back?

April: Tate...

He set her down gently on the couch.

Tate: Are you okay?

He sat down with her and she reached for him.

April: Yes, I'm...

She remembered their kiss in her memories. But this Tate didn't remember any of that. She pulled back suddenly.

She thought she understood now; she'd been taken out of her world and been brought here. She wondered if this was some sort of alternate reality.

There were still some gaps in her memory though - like her childhood; she still couldn't seem to remember any of that.

She tried explaining to Tate as best as she could. She told him about her theory about being abducted and brought to this world. She explained her contact with The Mother in her past and how that explained her visions. It all sounded a bit crazy, even to her, but Tate just listened as she explained what she had seen in her memories.

She told him about them working together - though she left out quite a few details - and about General Grunt and Lyla.

Tate: So... You're from the future?

April: No, I don't think so. It's more of... An alternate timeline I think.

Tate: That's why you knew my name that night in the field.

April: I remembered your name before my own...

April: Anyway... Things are different now. My coming here probably messed everything up.

Tate: Or, maybe you were brought here to fix it.

That gave her an idea.

April: I need to talk to General Grunt.

Tate: But you said...

April: He hasn't done any of those things yet in this timeline. So we have to stop him before he does.

Tate: What about The Mother?

April: I have an idea, but I need to go back to the lab.

He scooted closer to her.

Tate: Then I'm coming with you.

April: You believe me then? I don't sound like a crazy person?

Tate: You definitely sound like a crazy person. But I saw you that night in the field. And I saw that thing in the lab. So, yes, I believe you and I want to help.

April: Thank you.