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[queenbae]

[ Veronica has the camera trained on another hapless DoDS employee. The camera is shaking slightly as she films them, her voice coming in a steady stream off camera. The employee looks intimidated but helpless.]

Am I meant to believe that human trafficking has graduated to alternate universe levels but you don't want me to be angry because it was totally at random that I was selected?

First of all, you would be lucky to have someone like me in this alternate universe. There is only one Veronica Lodge and I am her. You don't pick this kind of quality randomly.

Second of all, you better get me back to Riverdale or I will burn this building down and all of the people, paper and plants in it.

You want me to choose compliance? Well, I choose violence.

Comments

[littleducktails]

Oh no... [Prim holds her hand up in a bit of a warding gesture.]

Please don't burn anything down - or get violent - I don't think that anybody would want you to get hurt, or anyone else. They will work on getting you back to wherever Riverdale is, I'm sure, but it may take another couple of days.

You don't have to comply for very long or anything, just - can we take a breath here and talk it through - I'm Prim and I can try and help. I came through the portal like you and I've been living here for a little while, how about I try to help?

[queenbae]

[ Veronica sighs. Does everyone take things literally around here? She at least shows Prim her face. ]

A couple of days? What am I supposed to do in the meantime?

Prim, how long have you been held here?

[littleducktails]

I think that probably depends on you - there are plenty of activities to do here and I'm not sure if you got to hear about the provided apartments, but you'll have somewhere to stay where you're safe and money too. I'd be happy to help you figure out what you want to do with the time that you are stuck here, though.

[Prim offers a genuine smile, albeit it's small. but still.]

I'm not sure - a year, maybe a little more, but I want to be here. Back home, for me, isn't very nice so this is my home now.

[queenbae]

Safe? They mentioned I would have roommates? How can I be sure they're safe?

[ Though, Prim's sweet smile might put her a little at ease. ]

So you choose to stay here? Blink if you need help.

[passedthedoor]

You can be angry, but maybe let's not choose violence as the place we start there, Veronica. [Sally is trying to hold the amusement back, but this is one hell of an entrance in terms of the ones she's seen up to this point.]

As insane as it all sounds this was an accident and they're just really bad at the whole welcome schpiel thing. Be mad, be upset - but how about you just keep recording and you pick whoever responds to this that you feel comfortable talking to and we'll just talk it out?

[Saly's eyebrows lift in question as she puts her iced coffeee down.]

I'm Sally - I've been here a while, came in like you and I plan on being a lifer, so I'm happy to step up and be the welcome wagon if I can do anything to help?

[queenbae]

[ Veronica turns the camera to face her so she can respond. ]

Sally, thank you for at least validating my right to my feelings. If you weren't meant to be here, why have you decided to stay? Are you stuck here?

[passedthedoor]

I got you. [Sally winks playfully, offering a smile still.]

I'm just going to level with you because you seem like someone who wants answers and needs a bit of a blunt touch - I'm dead back home. Yeah - I know. It sounds insane and crazy, but if you can explain any of this without it sounding bizarre I'll give you $20.

[Sally picks her iced coffee up for a sip and gives the other woman a beat.]

This portal tends to pull people from traumatic places, worlds - and in a fair number of cases from death - that's, I think, the point in why it's intended to be voluntary even if it's kind of on the fritz again.

[queenbae]

Dead?

[ Okay, now she knows she's in the Twilight Zone. ]

You seem to be taking it well if that's the case. And your skin is flawless.

[deadashale]

Well if this isn't a cry for us to start an entirely new welcome wagon set up, I don't know what is, jesus.

[Laura rubs her face and sighs before waving her hand a bit to get the other woman's attention.]

Veronica - hey, Veronica - hi. [Laura gives her a small, non-threatening smile raking in all of her patience.]

My name is Laura Hale - I appreciate that you're angry and that this entire situation is both unbelievable and scary and you're completely entitled to your feelings. It's really a trip to come through the portal. Most of the people responding to this have gone through it and remember what it was like. Unfortunately, the man there isn't lying to you, even if he didn't handle welcoming you well.

[Laura's voice is firm, authoritative.]

I don't think violence or burning anything in that building down will do you any good though - not if you want to get home because they'll need that portal to get you back home. [Laura takes a beat so that she can make sure that lands and settles in.]

It looks like the technology is having some issues, because anybody here is supposed to be on a volunteer basis, not brought in against their will. You don't have to comply with anything, but if you're a little patient some of our resident geniuses can figure out what's going on to send you back, but we need you to not destroy anything first - so can we make a deal that you slow your roll, don't destroy anything and I'm sure said geniuses will get to work as soon as they can? Nobody wants you trapped here against your will.

[queenbae]

[ Veronica turns the camera around to acknowledge Laura, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. ]

The welcome wagon definitely needs a makeover.

It's difficult to trust the geniuses in charge, since I'm here and not at home. But it's not as if I have a choice in the matter. I'm not going to give myself willingly over to any brainwashing.

[deadashale]

Think we might need to take over from them as a community at this point - we wind up pulling the majority of the weight anyway.

[Laura shrugs.]

So, the geniuses in charge have slowly been replaced with some of us - people who were brought in. And they had it working right for a while, I'm not sure what happened, but I know those geniuses and they'll do whatever they have to in order to get people that want to go back where they belong - minus any brainwashing. Nobody wants you to drink any koolaid or join the cult, I promise.

[queenbae]

Good, because I'm not planning on it.

[atypically]

Wow, that...all right, that was a lot and I gotta give it to you, that's easily the most memorable entrance video I've ever seen, so fucking bravo, for real.

[ In spite of himself, he laughs a little. ]

Uh, but they're telling you the truth. It sounds fake and fucked up, but it's real and reversible, it's just a little slow-going. Please don't burn that building down, we need it.

[queenbae]

So, I've heard. Do you all take everything so literally?

Not that I won't deliver on my threat if I don't get sent home, but the reaction has been a more ardent than I expected.

[atypically]

I mean...for all we know, you could be a pyrokinetic, so we kind of have to?

They'll get you sent home eventually if you want to go.

[queenbae]

Excuse me? A what?

I definitely want to go. I don't know how to make that any more clear.

[duelo]

[ Admittedly, he looks a little alarmed, not for himself, but for others. ]

Please do not burn that building down, that's where they keep the portals. You burn the building down and nobody ever comes in or leaves this place again.

[queenbae]

I'm not going to burn the building down. At least not today.

But, I appreciate the please you included. It's the first one I've heard.

[duelo]

[ Derek huffs a soft laugh. ]

Well, thanks. Not that I plan on using the portal again but I know other people probably do.

Admittedly I used it out of desperation on their parts, [ He's still secretly hoping Diego will come back, don't mind him. He misses his best friend. ] so don't give me too much credit.

...you okay? I mean, other than completely freaked out? We all were at some point or another, so you're in good company even though I know most of us probably sound entirely too nonchalant about this right now.

[icecreamslinger]

( Consider her awestruck. That's a badass, right there. The confidence is just pouring out of this girl, damn! )

Uh, I'm definitely stealing that "I choose violence" line because that's amazing. I won't reiterate the plea everyone else is throwing at you, but...are you okay? Like, physically, I mean?

[queenbae]

Physically, yes. Emotionally, absolutely not.

Are you a captive also?

[icecreamslinger]

Yeah, that sounds about right. I'm glad you're physically okay, at least.

( Robin makes a non-committal sound and shrugs, wrinkling her nose. )

Ehhhh...yes and no? Technically, yes. If by captive, you mean did I show up here totally at random and freak out, then yes. But 2022 is kind of awesome? So I'm not, like, in a rush to go back home...so also no. Kind of. Plus, my best friend from home is here.

[sanguinescry]

Okay, you? I love. Because that was one hell of an entrance. That said, please don't burn down the building, at least not until the H.E.R.O. Labs teams can fix the portal. It's already on my To-Do list for Monday morning, to start looking through our work to find out what we missed. It was fixed and stopped doing this to people, but we can get you back where you need to go.

( Lydia gives a little shrug and lifts an eyebrow. )

...you know, provided you don't burn down the building where we keep the portal. It might take us a few weeks or maybe months to nail down the right Earth to send you back to, but we can get you back home and we can get you back to a point in time where nobody will notice you were gone. We can possibly even make you forget you were ever here if that's what you want when the time comes, but I can't guarantee that last bit.

( She smiles a little and gives a little wave. )

I'm Lydia. I'm from Beacon Hills, California, originally 2016. I've been back and forth a little, but I'm a lifer, now.

[queenbae]

Are you one of the geniuses? I really need to get home as soon as possible. I have responsibilities, businesses, friends, family...

God, I'm not going to burn down the building. It's an expression! I'm not a psychopathic arsonist. Is everyone here so literal?

[ But over all, Lydia's actually being really nice. She sighs and shakes her head, offering an apologetic smile. ]

Sorry, Lydia. This has just been a real nightmare. I didn't mean to take it out on you or anyone else who thinks I'm legitimately capable of burning a building down with people or plants in it.

[sanguinescry]

That I am. Here's the thing...it might take a lot longer than you'd like for it to...but I can promise that no time at home will pass in the meantime. So you won't miss anything important and nobody will be worrying about you because, for them, you'll be gone maybe a few seconds or minutes, at most.

( Lydia laughs a little and looks appropriately sheepish. )

Listen, when I showed up, I freaked out and completely shattered that back window and nearly knocked out all of the guys in there. Sometimes people who didn't have special abilities back home come in with new superpowers they don't really know how to fully control, so we kind of have to take it literally just to be on the safe side. It's nothing personal.

( Immediately, Lydia waves off the apology. )

Don't even worry about it, it's totally insane when you first show up. Some of us have just been here for a really long time, on and off. It's maybe too easy for us to forget how freaky it is because it's not as fresh, so I'm sorry, too, on our behalves. But I promise, Peter, Five, and I will get on it ASAP and we'll get that portal fixed again. You're not the first one to come through involuntarily in the last few days, so there's definitely something wrong. That hasn't happened since we fixed it the first time.