Othergirl and Visionarie #1 (co-written with Liz)

"Ok, ok, calm down. Look. My real name isn't important right now. But people know me best as 'Visionarie'. I promise you...I'm here to help you..."

Liz grabs a gun from a holster in her leg and points it at Visionarie.

"Get away from me...", Liz scowls. Realising the situation, Steph raised her hands in surrender.

"I promise I'm not here to hurt you..."

Cautiously, Liz stands up and looks around.

"What is this? A training exercise?"

Steph looks at Liz with confusion.

"Why would it be a training exercise? You're in a public park..."

Liz looked around again with more trepidation.

"Well, it's that or a... oh. I'm dead, aren't I?"

Steph looks at Liz, dumbfounded.

"I don't think you're dead..."

"Dying?"

Steph shook her head as Liz looked around with disapproval.

"So where am I?"

"Look, I've already explained. You're in Southampton. This isn't a training exercise or heaven or anything. Just Southampton".

Liz looks around. She's evidently scared but she walks around a bit to get her bearings.

"So...where are YOU from?"

"Earth"

"That narrows it down..."

"Well...I don't remember..."

"Makes sense. You fell hard. I'm amazed you survived to be honest!"

"Where's my pod?"

"Pod? I haven't seen a pod about..."

"Must've burnt up on re-entry"

"...re-entry?"

Liz looked around. She starts to think about her pod. As she does, Steph holds her head in some discomfort.

"Gosh, could you be a bit quieter please?"

Liz looks at Steph confused.

"What? I'm not saying anything..."

"No, but you're thinking it..."

Liz stares at Steph for a moment.

"I...Can you read minds!?"

Steph rubs her head.

"Yes. I can".

"Oh..."

Liz looks at Steph in her entirety, realises she's not a threat and decides to trust her. Realising that her opposite can read minds, she feeds certain thoughts about her past. As she reads them Steph chuckles.

"Oooh. We have a mutual friend it seems..."

"What? Who?"

"The man who punched you on...Arantia, is it?"

"He...He broke me..."

She snarls as she remembers him.

"He..."

Suddenly, she starts to cry. Liz feels the tears as she's never cried before. She looks confused.

"What's...my face is malfunctioning..."

Steph chuckles softly.

"It's called crying. It happens when someone is sad..."

Liz nods in recognition.

"Oh..."

She cries some more. As she does, Steph comes over and puts her hand on Liz's shoulder.

"I know this is a lot to take in. But I promise, you can consider me a friend. I can read your thoughts and I can comprehend your pain. But I promise, I can be trusted. My name is Stephanie Moran. And I'm in the business of helping people like you..."

Liz tenses up. Upon noticing this, Steph removes her hand.

"I promise..."

"I'm sorry..."

"It's ok. After what you've been through, it's amazing you haven't killed me out of fear yet..."

A twig snaps behind Liz. Upon hearing it, Liz spins around and aims her gun in the direction of the sound. Confused, Steph stands next to Liz and watches with her.

"What was that?"

"I don't know..."

Liz lowers her gun unwillingly. As she does, gunshots ring out, coming from the area of the noise. Liz jumps as Steph dives onto the ground. Liz dives in front of Steph to shield her. As the gunshots ricochet near them, Liz looks around at the landscape.

"I PROMISE THIS ISN'T ANYTHING TO DO WITH ME"

"Stay there! And be careful, I don't want anything to happen to you"

Steph nods as she tries to concentrate on the gunmen, hoping she can get into their heads. During this, Liz crawls towards the source of the shooting with her gun cocked. Steph succeeds and one gunmen stops shooting and walks out. Liz grabs him.

"Who are you?"

"Your worst nightmare..."

Liz chuckled.

"Boring..."

She shoots both gunmen in the shoulder and the leg, very efficiently. Steph looks on in horror as she does.

"Still sure about that?"

Before he has the chance to answer, both the gunmen have been beheaded. Shocked and unsure as to what happened, Liz steps back. Steph looks confused. A few moments later, another man appears from the bushes, tuts and looks at Liz.

"YOU HAD TO GO AND BLOW MY COVER DIDN'T YOU!"

They looks confused.

"Who the hell are you!?"

Liz looks at Liz and smirks.

"If you play your cards right, love, your future boyfriend"

Liz looks confused.

"I...what's a boyfriend?"

Steph facepalms. The man looks confused.

"I do like dumb chicks but even I have standards..."

"How do I resemble a chicken?"

The man laughs awkwardly.

"Wow...where did they find you?"

Liz looks to Steph for guidance. Steph shrugs.

"Who is he!?"

"HE is called Leviathan. Nice to meet you...I think..."

Liz is taken aback.

"Oh...That's a funny name"

Leviathan looks unimpressed.

"It's not my real name, dumbass".

Liz looks upset as she realises he's being mean.

"And why are you here, 'Leviathan'?"

"I'm here to look for a girl who's helping Naturals and Augs. I've come to warn her. But I noticed a few of the guys I'm chasing were chasing you. So, I'm assuming you two are the people I'm looking for.."

Liz looks at Steph worryingly.

"People are trying to harm you!?"

"I think they're trying to harm BOTH of you!"

"I just got here, answer the question!"

"This is news to me! Who's after me!?"

"Do share, Leviathan..."

Leviathan clears his throat.

"Congratulations, whoever you are, you are soon to be the victims of the Russian gangster Dmitry Volstovov. The man who "runs" this city".

Steph looks scared.

"I will protect you..."

"Listen, lady, have you ever gone against Russian gangsters?"

Steph sits down and stares into space as the news sinks in.

"No, but I have fought aliens and armies!"

Leviathan chuckles.

"Yeah, no, these guys are worse than that"

Liz lunges at Leviathan. She grounds him very easily. Leviathan points a gun at her head but she takes it and tucks it into her utility belt. Eventually, she feels something harden near her thighs. Leviathan smiles.

"Now...stop...or I'll be forced to empty my load RIGHT into you..."

Liz gets up and points his own gun at him. As this happens, Steph stands up.

"JUST STOP IT"

Liz looks confused.

"Why?"

"BECAUSE THIS SOLVES NOTHING"

After a few moments, Liz puts the gun back into her holster and obeys.

"I will protect you..."

Steph shakes her head.

"No. You can't do anything. I need my friends to help me..."

Steph walks away as Liz and Leviathan look at each other confused...