"Hehh....heh...eh..." A torn twisted laugh, she thought, echoing over the prairie they found themselves on a few days out of town.

She stiffened but tried her best not to let on that she just heard something. Hearing things was just one of those signs that you were going crazy. “Catastrophe, do you hear laughter?” Of course, when the beings around you hear them as well, then there are issues.

She blinked and looked at him. “I was hoping that torn twisted laughter was in my head.” She tried not to be too redundant, but she didn't think the narrative allowed it at that point.

He looked over at her with a look that expressed a light amount of distaste. “No offense, but if we have a psychic link for some strange reason, I’m killing myself. Anyways, I think it’s coming from below us.”

She winced a little, but laughed on the inside. “Damn. Harsh much?” She asked jokingly, trying not to look below. “I’m guessing-” A barrier of yellow appeared in front of her.

“Stay Away.” A voice cackled, a familiar voice. Ivan's voice.

He sighed in relief. “Oh good, it’s definitely not from you.” Marty scanned the ground, probably spotting a certain striped crazy at almost the same time she did.

“STAY AWAY DAMN IT.” The barrier expanded and lurched around the two of them. The zebra fled. Catastrophe growled under her breath. He just HAD to get his magic back, didn't he?

She almost chuckled with glee when Marty slammed into the barrier. “Damnit Ivan! I can’t hover!” He yelped as he slipped downwards.

Ignoring her every right to let him fall, she caught him by his shoulders and kept him propped on until they kit the bottom of the barrier.

“What do you need to get him?” She paused. “Oh yeah, and try not to let him explode your head.”

The zebra rushes farther ahead, disappearing besides a few flashes of black and white through the grass.

“I have an idea, but it requires several things going right for us... Which I doubt will happen, seeing as we’ve used up a huge portion of our luck just finding him.” Marty sighed, then continued. “I’ll skim us ahead of him, then make us invisible. Assuming he continues going this direction, and assuming he can’t see through my weave, I should be able to use compulsion to bring him under control.” Marty shook his head.

“Yay relying on luck!”

She dug her claws into his shoulders. “Why the fuck did you just say what you had to do out loud? That’s just pushing it. I’d be surprised if one thing works now that you said it so the narrative could follow it.” She glared down at him. “We have to think like him.”

“Right, think like the bloke who acts like he’s insane. My insanity involves making gateways into a planet’s core and corralling the local populace. Not running away from my friends.” Marty shook his head again. Cata could almost hear his miniscule brain hitting either side of his head as it tried to spark an idea. “Yeah, I’ve got nothing.”

“Ok. We need to think this through.” She smiled with no actual idea what she was doing. “I have a plan that may work. Trust me?”

“About as far as I can throw you, but that’s surprisingly far. What’s your plan?”Marty smiled wryly.

“Let’s wing it.” She punned closing her wings and dropping like a stone. “Just follow my lead.”

“So we treat it like every battle in history after it has started. I like it.” Marty made an all too fitting predatory look appear on his face. “First, I’m going to break this barrier down.” His voice changed for the umpteenth time, and he glared at the barrier.

A moment passed, then a few blurs which left streaking after images in her eyes shot out from his hands and impacted the barrier. Large crystalline fissures formed across the surface as he continued the magic barrage. After a minute the barrier explodes, making her wonder just how Ivan had supercharged it.

She flared out her wings, making sure she had a tight grasp on Marty. “Can you fly on your own? Oh yeah. Not sure if he can do that, but he might try putting one of those barriers in your head. Might want to watch out for that, as much as I want you dead I’d rather be the one to do it.”

“Yes, though I’ll need to dive to build up momentum first. I’ll be sure to shield him as best as I can. I’ve blocked stronger opponents, so he shouldn’t be too hard.” She rolled her eyes. Sure, don't take her advice to heart.

She shrugged. “So, should I just drop you or should I dive. Hmmm...” She laughed lightly, her mind clear for the first time in a long time. She dove towards the ground.

“Whenever you feel like letting go, I should be fine now.”

“Promise me you won’t die until I kill you?” She laughed, her beak going into a vicious grin. It felt great to fly. She felt her heart pound.

“Disembowelment by a gryphoness, sounds like fun.” Marty pulled his wings out of the dive, forcing the two of them into level flight.

She released her claws from him, letting him fly on his own. “So, any ideas on how to take him out from here?” Her heart pounded faster and vague feelings of hunting prey flashed through her head. The Zebra would be hers...

“My limit for fine control is about three hundred meters, or around a thousand feet. That’s the distance I’d want to risk compulsion from, and I’m as likely to kill him as knock him out from this distance.” Marty swung his tail about, making a few course adjustments. At least, that's about the only reason she could figure for why his course changed slightly.

Cata let out half of a cheer and did a quick flip in the air, speeding up towards the direction he had been fleeing in. “I’ll go see what he thinks about the issue.”

“Alright, be careful. He’s definitely not in his right mind.” The snake pointed out.

She smiled. “Relax, will ya? I’ve faced down airships exploding, I can probably survive a zebra.” She looked away, her heart pounding for another reason. “Even if he loves me or whatever.” She mumbled.

She knew he heard it and was thankful he didn't comment. “Get out of there if he shows himself to be truly violent.”

“Yeah. Sure. Whatever, Snakedick.” She brushed his concern off of her and smiled. She quickly sped up further, her wings guiding her forward, her eyes trained to catch the tell tale stripes.

Ivan stopped and stared at her, looking straight on at her even while she dived towards him. Up until the last second, at which point he dodged out of the way, letting her dive catch nothing.

"Stand still." She commanded, though she knew saying that was pointless.

Cata swooped down at him and Ivan jumped away just as nimbly, She flew back into the air, her head slowly stopping its nigh undying pounding. “Hold still and let me get my talons on you...” She caught a flash of the snake/ local bane of her existence coming up behind her. She smirked.

She dove at the zebra one more time.

"Sleep." Marty said in a flat voice.

Ivan fought it for a long moment, his eyes wild and flashing out with barely contained magic.

She felt his pain as her own.

She let out a pant and hit the ground heavily, her wings strained beyond where she should've placed them. “Ivan.” She groaned, then reached into her pouch, dealing with one pain at a time. She sat on the ground and watched him.

Her tail flicked out as she stared at his fallen body, half suspecting that he would rise up again within seconds.

She was almost disappointed when he didn't.

He approached the zebra. He stared at Ivan for a moment before speaking again. “I’ll go ahead and heal him, and then we can head back to your airship. We’ll need to be careful of his mental state and his dehydration, though.”

She picked up Ivan up and carefully carried him, flashing Marty a glare as she started to walk away. She stifled her urge to carry him in another manner... “Well gee, what could’ve made you think that, genius?” She cradled him against her chest.

“Why thank you, milady. I have never been so complemented in my life.” She once again resisted the urge to hurt Marty.

She spits out a few seeds on the ground next to Marty and feeling rather awkward, continued carrying Ivan. “Do you think he’ll be ok?”

“Physically? I can make him fit as a fiddle. Mentally? Let’s find a real therapist.”

“Know any good ones around here?” She asked, not really wanting him to respond.

“Closest person I know of around here that is a decent therapist goes by Jim. Jim Bean and it tastes delicious.”

She blinked blankly, the meaning going over her head. “Just. No.” Ivan let out a pitiful cry and she twitched. Damn it, he was being adorable.

“I never said that there wasn’t a better therapist around here, just the one I knew about.” He cocked his head at an angle then continued on with his little dialogue. “We should try and get some fluids in him. He needs water.” He pulled out a full canteen. “Here, you probably want to do this instead of letting me do it.” Marty holds out the canteen to her.

Which was probably for the better, as she didn't feel like letting go of him any time soon.

“Just pour a little bit into his mouth at a time, then gently massage his throat so he reflexively swallows.” Marty instructed, not that he needed to.

She gently placed him against the ground, propping him up with on one of her wings. She placed the canteen against his mouth, and ignoring the growing heat she felt in her face, massaged his throat slowly. “He’s been running for two days.” He swallowed a little at a time.

She tried to take her mind off of just how easily it would be to slit his through open with her talons.

“Which definitely explains how he was able to keep ahead of the two of us on the wing.” He might've looked at her and she might've just not cared about it.

“You going to be okay by yourself for a moment? I’m going to go look at something real quick.” She smiled and waved him away.

She nodded. “Yeah. Sure...” She said in her distraction.

She felt humiliated, like she was a young chick again, forced to rely on others for help. Which was odd, since she was helping someone else.

Her face was redder.

She might need to lay off the poppy after this. Clearly, she had been taking too much.

“A mystery and something I’ll investigate later. I had a hunch that something like this would happen. Dramatic convenience and all that. Anyways, I see that you’ve had luck in getting him to drink something.” He talked again, back from whatever he had been doing.

“Just a little luck. He feels really light.” She looked at Marty for a second. “I think he might be a little uh... malnourished?” She asked, then shook her head. “Yeah, malnourished. Do you think he might’ve been skipping meals or something?”

It would certainly explain why they still had supplies back on the ship.

“It’s certainly possible, and that might have contributed to his running away. Hunger and lack of necessary nutrients can make you do some really stupid shit.”

“Am I rubbing off on you?”

“I don’t know. Could be. Just so long as you don’t literally rub off on me. I don’t think my girlfriend would approve.” He seemed to slow down his speech to choose his words.

“Who the hell would ever want to stay around you?” She stared down at Ivan and sat him on his side, laying him out.

“Hellspawn, duh.” She ignored the look he gave her.

“Hellspawn. Right. Whatever. Soooo. What do I owe you for this?”

“Nothing. I’m fairly certain what I’m looking for is over by what I was looking at. So in return for ‘helping’ me in my investigation, I won’t charge you a thing.” He bobbed his head at this. “Besides, money really isn’t something I care about.”

“Still.” She shook a little. “I suppose I have been a little.. Uh...” She had to apologize. “Abrasive.”

“No harm done, hon. I’ve not helped matters any, and my abilities tend to cause those with feline characteristics to dislike or mistrust me. Which, last I checked, gryphons have some feline characteristics.” He was coming up with explanations for her behavior.

“Yeah. You can say that." She tried to bring a smile to her face and felt it die almost instantly, smited by her mood. "What do we do when he wakes up?”

“I shield him, and hope that we can calm him down. Your face would probably be better for him to wake up to. Equines are instinctively fearful of snakes. Which, for better or worse, I resemble.”

“Yeah.” She stared thoughtfully at Ivan. “So... what now?”

“Now, we wait. And I have a game that can pass the time. What you do is take a word that starts with a, like apple for instance, and then reply with a word that starts with the letter at the end of that word, so elephant would be a workable reply. The game continues until you can’t think of a proper word.” Marty waits for her reply.

“Tarry.” She says without looking at him.

“Ysolde.”

“Every.” This was a stupid game.

“Ysengrime.”

“Early.” They should play another game.

“Yolk.”

“Kooky.” "Let's play kill the snake?

“You. You like ‘Y’ words, don’t you.”

“Unfortunately.” Hey everybody! It's Cata-strophe! Let's play kill the snake.

“Ye.”

“Extremely.”

“Yield.”

“Duration.”

“Null.”

“Leery.” Time slowly passed as they went at this.

“Yip.”

“Perplexingly.”

It was rather easy for her to win. “I’ve got nothing. You used all my ‘Y’ words. Good game.” She turned to look back at the zebra and saw his eyes open wide with panic and saw his intent to start running again plainly written across his face.

She growled deeply and threw herself on top of him, pinning him down like he was a mere animal. “Oh hell no, I’m not letting you move yet.” She half way snarled, half way cried. Her brain felt like it was dancing about, throwing bits of nonsense at her and trying to distract her.

“Go away.” He mumbled without opening his eyes. She frowned at him and kept him pinned.

“Sorry Ivan, no can do.” Marty replied

He slowly cracked open his eyes and stared at Catastrophe, his face going red for a long second before paling back to a panicked white. “I need to not be here. I’ll end up killing you.” She remained on him, staring back into his blue eyes unwaveringly.

“Uh huh. I’ve used that justification before. It’s stupid, and hurts everyone in the end. Plus, I think that getting Catastrophe here killed would just annoy her.”

She had a sudden flash of breaking free from the underworld just to smack Ivan across the face and found that Marty had made a pretty fitting statement.

She nodded, and then Ivan flared out his magic, seeking to push her off of him. It faded almost instantly. “Stay here.” She demanded, almost hissing into the zebra’s face. “Stay here.”

“Help me? She’s warm.” His face went redder, whether from the fact that she was compressing his lungs or some other matter, she didn't care.

“And considering I’m worried about you going into shock, that’s not a bad thing. I think this is the best thing I can do for you.”

He slowly blinked. “So... why are you guys here?”

Cata bit back her response about Marty being here to just annoy her.

“Business.”

“Business.” His eyes flashed from her to the snake and back again.

Cata glared at the zebra. “And? You don’t even seem excited to see us.”

“Look guys, I know that you want me to come back, but I can’t.” He turned his head to look at the sky. “I need to get away.”

Of all the stupid things she had ever heard anybody ever say, that was one of them.

Cata looked at Marty, taking her eyes off of him for just a second. “What am I supposed to do now? He’s still nutty.”

“Got me. I vote we bind his legs and take him back to town. That will take care of the whole running away from us bit.” Marty looks to Catastrophe for her thoughts.

“Think we could shock him or something? Don’t crazy people get shocked? I’m clueless.”

Ivan squirmed. “Guys. Just let me go.”

“No.” She spat at him, though not literally.

“Shh, the adults are talking here.”

The griffon smirked. “You know, he’s kinda like an adorable puppy, when he’s not trying to be naughty.”

Ivan blushed. “Guys. Please?”

“My sort of shock therapy kills, but I have heard of it working. Also a sequel to a wonderfully bad movie.” He muttered the second part and she ignored him.

“Right. I’m just going to sit here and maybe he’ll stop being crazy. That’s less likely to kill him and less likely for fate to let him go.” She smirked down at Ivan, who at least looked miserable.

“Sorry bro. I’m not going to let someone hurt themselves when I can prevent it.” Marty smiled at him. “I’m just a dick like that.”

Ivan glared at the both of them.

“This is kinda pathetic. Damn it, act your age, Ivan.” She rolls her eyes.

“I don’t want to.” He whined.

She felt a surge of frustration build up and practically saw read. SHE SUFFERED FROM DEALING WITH THE FUCKING DICK SNAKE FROM HELL AND IVAN WOULDN'T EVEN LISTEN TO FUCKING REASON?

She huffed and rolled her eyes again. “So childish.” She put one of her taloned appendages on his throat. She took a great deal of satisfaction is pricking the under side of his chin with a sharp claw.

Her right eyelid twitched when he didn't react. “What. Are. You. Waiting. For?” She hissed, glaring down at him. She leans down closer to express her ire more clearly.

“Catastrophe, ease up a little.” Marty looked at her anxiously. “I don’t think you want to really maim him.”

“Fiiiiiine.” She snarled, taking her appendage from his neck. “So what shou-”

Ivan let out a sigh of relief and then promptly kissed her beak. A shock of emotions buzzed through her like the last time she tried drugs, lancing through with startling clarity. She felt her face turn a dark red. Beyond dark red.

She went dead silent, not moving. Her eyes were locked with Ivan's.

Marty looked on, doing his absolute best to not start laughing.

Ivan stopped kissing her. “So... can you let me go yet?” He asked curiously.

She looked at Marty. “Did he just?” She said, almost speechless.

Marty burst out laughing. He stopped for a moment, looked at the two of them, then starts to laugh again.

She dared to look back at Ivan.

Not a flicker of remorse or regret. “Might as well.” He kissed her again.

“What.” She croaked not moving her face. “You... D-don’t... Kiss a beak. You... Y-you.” Her mind was torn between confusion and outright mental explosion. She knew her face mirrored that. “What?”

“Oh... Oh god. Your face. I wish I had a camera to share this with everyone.” He said, laughing with tears. That was Marty, always being annoying.

Cata glared at Marty with one eye, but doesn’t move her face. Such venom was passed through the air that it probably would’ve killed him on the spot if she had been capable of actually producing it.

Ivan stopped kissing her. “What, you don’t like it?” He looked hurt.

She stared blankly down at him. “I. Uh. Er. W-what? You.” She stumbled over her words. “CAN YOU AT LEAST WARN ME BEFORE YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT?” She shouted.

Ivan’s ears closed against his head. “Oh.”

Marty wheezed from the sideline. “I... can’t... breath.” He finally started to get his laughter under control. Which was for the best, because she had not gotten her urge to kill him under control.

She growled loudly. “Marty...” She warned.

Her mind went blank when she realized Ivan was still waiting for her response. She said the first thing that came to mind.

“And uh... It was ok ...I guess.” She said in a softer voice to Ivan.

He smiled. “Oh, should I do it again?” His ears came back up.

“If you do, I should probably leave.” Marty said with a mirthful tone.

“Stay here.” She hissed. She lunged at Marty.

The zebra, of course, ran for it.

She turned away, a few seconds from using her rage to pummel Marty. “Did he just...?”

“Nope.” Marty used his magic... thing... and Ivan floated back over to them.

“Aw. Damn it.” He said without any real feeling.

Cata blinked slowly, her face still red. “Marty, if you ever tell anyone this I will hunt you down and shove your tail down your throat until it comes out your ass. YOUR ASS. YOU HEAR ME?” She meant every word of it.

“Biological impossibilities aside, I wouldn’t dream of it. This moment is too precious to use as blackmail.” Marty tied off the weaves binding Ivan, and sets him down. “Now you can’t run away.”

Cata sat a bit away from Ivan. “Think we should try his meds?”

Ivan frowned at Cata. “Uh... why are you over there?”

Marty looked over at Catastrophe, and answered. “Probably couldn’t hurt.”

“Because Ivan, beaks are sharp. If you kiss them, you’ll get cut.” She said in a matter of fact tone, then tossed Marty a pill bottle.

“Oh. Guess I should get chapstick or something.”

“Or prepare for a lot of scars.” Marty looked at the bottle, takes out an appropriate dose. “If I put this in your mouth, are you going to take it? Or am I going to have to force you to swallow? I know how to force you to swallow if you spit it back out.”

He looked at Marty. “Got any water? I’m thirsty.”

“I’m sure.” Marty brings out his second canteen, and tips it up so that Ivan can drink from it easily.

He drinks from it greedily.

Catastrophe stares at him while he does so. “So...” She started, but didn't finish.

“Doh” Marty answered back, musically.

She glared. “We will not start a musical segment.”

“Dang it, I had what is love planned.” Ivan complained.

“Probably better than part of ‘The sound of Music’.”

“JUST GIVE HIM THE PILL.” She screamed, fighting back another blush. “Uncrazify him so I can beat the shit out of him for kissing me.”

Ivan frowned. “So... you didn’t like it?”

Marty raised his eyebrow at Catastrophe, and then places the pill on Ivan’s tongue. “Some water to help the medicine go down.”

“Just a teaspoon?” He asked, but swallows almost obediently.

Marty smiled at this, but made sure Ivan gets a decent amount of water. “You took it without complaint. I almost feel proud of you.”

He spat a mouthful of water into Marty’s face. “Yeah, fuck you.” He mumbled.

Oh, so that's what love feels like.

Cata clapped. “Oh look, he takes after me.”

“You both do know that I can dump the both of you in the nearest ocean, no problems, right?” Marty grinned evilly. “In fact, that’s one of my favorite ways of dealing with douchebags.”

They both ignored him.

Ivan frowned. “Can I go now? I kinda don’t want to be here...” He looked away, at the fields around them.

Catastrophe groaned. “Damn, I’ve been flirting with disaster.”

“Family of yours?” Marty asked snidely.

“Marty, if yo-” She burst into laughter. “Heh...” She chuckled. “Oh it’s been a long couple of days.”

Ivan looked at her. “You telling me? I’ve been running for two days straight.”

“Yes, but she’s dealing with me sleep deprived. I’m more than a bit of a dick when I’m sleep deprived.”

“If you were anymore of a dick I’d see how much I could sell you to the sex trade.” She sniped, looking at Ivan.

Ivan laughed weakly. “I should’ve known someone would track me down.”

At that, Marty shot Catastrophe a look of pure hate. “Don’t even joke about that. Not around me, not ever.”

She recoiled slightly. “Huh. I probably should’ve known you would be sensitive about the ‘friend trade’.”

“I don’t want to talk about it, but I hate it, and I kill things I hate.”

For the first time since meeting the snake, Cata felt a real spike of danger. She glared at him and snarled.

“Cata.” Ivan said, his voice cracking. “I’m kinda scared.”

Catastrophe looked Marty in the eyes, her mind telling him, commanding him even, to back down.. “Snap out of it. You’ll do something you regret.”

Marty breathed in and out slowly several times, seeming to lose size with every exhalation. After the sixth exhalation, Marty looked at her, a sad, ancient mien about him. “I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that.”

She glared. “That’s right. Now apologize to Ivan. You scared him and he is still insane.” She closed her eyes. “Good. Fucking. Job.”

“I apologize Ivan. No one should have to see that part of me, especially someone who is hurting.” The snake man looked small, fragile, and maybe a little broken.

Ivan closed his eyes and opened them. “Actually, I kinda feel better around Catastrophe, you know?”

She resisted the urge to bash her head against the nearest wall.

The griffon groaned. “Marty. You’ve got to stop being a... You’ve got to stop. Stop trying to be perfect. It isn’t going to work and it’s just going to drive you nuts. Like Ivan.”

“Perfection is impossible, as well as boring. No, I’m merely trying to atone.” Marty’s mask snapped back into place. “But that’s neither here nor there. Lets get him back into town, shall we?”

Cata nodded at him, almost feeling her neck sore from all the nodding she had had to do. “Uh... Thanks. I’m a little sorry that I didn’t trust you, but thanks, I guess.” Her apology reeked of bitterness.

Ivan shrugged from being carried. “I’m just saying that the hot tub had better not be occupied.”

“No promises. But lets start out. No offense, but I have other things I need to get done.” Marty did his thing and defied every natural law she could think of, opening a hole in space.

Ivan looked at him. “Where are you going?”

“You know the spider god you have in your head?” Ivan blinked. “Yeah, I have something similar, except mine is better behaved. He gave me a long term goal, and in return he owes me a favor.”

Cata nodded. “Like the one I don’t owe you.”

“Like I said, this chase led me right to where I think is next on my task list. So yeah, that squares us up nicely.”

The griffon smiled. “To be polite, if we ever meet again I might try to skin you alive and set you on fire.”

Ivan blinked. “Uh... did something happen between you?”

“Oh, we found we have a significantly different opinion on art. I like surrealism, and she likes the destructive anarcho movement. Simple as that.” Marty flicks his tongue at Catastrophe.

Ivan blinks. “So you pissed her off and she didn’t kill you?”

She looked away.

“To be fair, I think she’s a little intimidated by me.” Marty fake whispered to Ivan. She twitched.

“To be fair, you can tear holes in time and space.” He pointed out. “I’m terrified beyond belief of you, myself.”

“Point. Anyways, shall we?” Marty gestured to the open portal.

Ivan looked at it. “Where does it go?”

Cata picked him up and they both flew through.

“WAIT! THAT’S NOT A GATEWAY!” Marty yelled as loud as he could, a real note of terror in his voice. “Land on the platform!”

She blinked and landed on the metal platform surrounding the gate...thing. She hadn't really noticed it before, but it had a bit of a handrail and some pulsating flashy lights. “Wow. You really do suck.”

“This is known as skimming. It’s similar to the gateways I make, except slower. If you didn’t land on that platform, you would eventually tire, and fall forever, eventually dying of thirst or madness. I’m doing this so that we don’t have to wait a stupid length of time for me to learn the area.”

She blinked. “You can die of madness?” She looked at the zebra worriedly.

“Well, it’s more or less death by madness. Your brain shuts down, and nothing can reboot it. But this place is just special like that. It’s the falling for forever in complete darkness that messes with your mind like that.”

She nodded. “Sounds... uh... interesting?”

“Well, if there’s someone I really detest, and don’t feel like torturing them to death, I just throw them off the platform.” Marty thought for a moment, then continued. “And no, neither of you qualify for that particular horror.” Marty started the platform moving.

“Remind me to never piss you off.” Ivan said, his eyes slowly draining of madness. “You know, when I’m not trying to plot out something it is a lot easier to think. I might hire someone to do the planning.”

She smiled. “What, and miss out of the fireworks after your plan fails?”

“Fireworks are fun.” Marty continues the ride in quiet, saying nothing.

The zebra smiled. “Can you unbind me yet? I’m not into anyone watching me, if you catch my drift.”

Catastrophe blinks blankly before the meaning slides through. “Bondage, hmmm?”

The somewhat less than sane zebra slumped down as his invisible bonds were finally cut.

Ivan laughed. “No.” He sank to the ground, laying on his side.

She shrugged. “Whatever.”

Marty opened up the end of the wormhole, letting light shine in. “That’s the ride folks. Please remember all of your carry-ons, and have a nice day. And as always, thank you for riding Stu wormways.” The sarcasm was horribly flat as he had no emotion in his voice.

She shook her head.

“I’m going to have to report you to your company, there were entirely too many things wrong with that flight. The engines, for example, were on fire.” Ivan joked.

Marty emerged from the hole, followed by Ivan and Catastrophe. “Any landing you can walk away from. Now, I’m going to go find the nearest bar, hire a room, and then drink myself into oblivion. Maybe I’ll finally get a decent nights sleep.”

Ivan looked at Catastrophe. “Hot tub?”

“Hot tub.” she replied, smirking.

“You two kids have fun.” Marty slithered off, perhaps to go fuck with someone else's mind, or perhaps to give them a little privacy.

Catastrophe waved half assedly at Marty. “Fuck you Snake.”

Ivan shrugs. “So... where does this leave us?” He looks at her deeply.

“Cut it out with the eyes, Neon pegasus.”

He flinched. “I thought you said you forgot about that!”

“Hell no.”

“Damn it.”