16208/A Falling Star

A Falling Star
Date of Scene:	29 October 2023
Location:	Bristol Township
Synopsis:	Valkyrie plummets to Earth after a space battle and is found by Batgirl. Those really weren't fat jokes, promise.
Cast of Characters:	Brunnhilde, Stephanie Brown

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Brunnhilde has posed:
Sounds of battle erupt through the Svartalfar ship as more dark elf warriors converge on the deck of the sleek warship. Steel rings on steel as many battle against one. Common sense would tell this was a bad idea, taking on a rogue ship herself yet after the war there were still many such small factions and ships warring in Malekith's name.

And the Valkyrie wouldn't stand for it.

A scream from a dark elf fades into nothingness as Dragonfang claims another victim, blade deadly and slicing through enemy after enemy. "Is there none that can challenge me here?" she taunts, much of her overconfidence having returned after she had recovered her blade. Blood flies as the blond warrior continues her battle through their ranks. Only a matter of time until she is done with the ship and then she will---

An explosion rocks the ship, the part where Hilde was at suddenly exposed to the void of space. The impact of the explosion is enough to send her flying. Powerful enough that she is knocked unconscious for a few seconds, her blade lost ....

Up on the sky above the Bristol Township a bright flare is visible. Followed by what seems like a falling star streaking closer and closer.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Sounds of the last dredges of soda being sucked through a straw erupt through the Bristol countryside as the last bit of Dr. Pepper is consumed by the blond Batgirl as she sits her Batcycle. A bag from Big Belly Burger contains just used napkins and discarded food wraps. Wait! A lone fry that escaped detection tries to hide at the bottom, but Stephanie Brown digs it out to munch on. Better hot, but she doesn't want to separate it from its fellows.

"That hit the spot," she says, emptying the last bits of ice from her cup, cramming it into the bag and then smooshing the whole thing down enough it can fit into a compartment of her Batcycle until she makes it somewhere with a trash can.

Bats don't litter.

She looks about the countryside outside of Bristol on the New Jersey mainland. No signs of the smugglers who had been routing trucks along the rural roads. Batgirl gives a yawn and then twists her torso to one side and then the other, stretching.

"Alright, this was a bust," she declares with a sign. "Still nice to get out of the city," she says. Far enough some of the light pollution from Gotham City has declined, enough she can see that stars actually do exist. Something the city-dwelling young Stephanie Brown had always doubted as a kid.

One star moving among the others catches her eye. "Ooo, falling star," she says to herself, quickly coming up with a wish to make on it.

A few seconds of observation, "wow, that one is lasting awhile," she says as it hasn't burned out in seconds like most meteors that make it to the atmosphere to turn into falling stars. "And it's... coming this way," she says.

She watches as the light plummets to the ground not all that far away. A couple of miles at most. She starts up the Batcycle, racing forward. Grinning at the thought of collecting her own meteorite! It isn't long before she's pulling up to the spot a farmer's fields have been disturbed, a very small crater left by the impact. Batgirl hops off her bike and heads over to take a look.

Brunnhilde has posed:
Hopefully Stephanie's wish was a good one because that falling star seems like the real deal as it comes streaking through the sky. And then closer ..., and closer. Close enough that it looks like indeed it's coming right her way.

As for Hilde? The impact left her dazed enough that she is barely conscious yet she can feel the sudden shift. The void of space becomes sky, then clouds. From all the way up there the stars she can see do look beautiful. It had been a while since she had taken some time to look up at the sky and enjoy ....

Snap out of it, Hilde!

The Valkyrie's senses, still dulled, slowly start to return and she senses the direness of her situation as she plummets closer and closer to the ground. She only has time to curl her legs and protect her head, breaking through branches and then right through a tree before she crashes through a field of corn.

Silence follows it and what's left on the ground is a tall, blonde woman. Whatever armor she was wearing seems to have mostly broken off with the impact, blood from some slashes visible. Seems like she was fighting before dropping here.

Is she alive? She looks quite still.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Batgirl steps up onto the edge of the little crater, dirt mouned up a foot or two shielding her view of the crater's contents until she's standing atop it and can see the beat up woman at the bottom.

"Huh."

There's a moment that Batgirl activates a Geiger counter from her utility belt, checking for radiation. Not detecting anything worrisome, she moves down into the crater carefully.

Batgirl crouches by Brunnhilde's prone form. Lenses drop down to fill the eyeholes in her cowl, showing her a thermal imaging view that shows while the woman's body is warmer than people usually are, it's not enough it's going to burn Stephanie. Especially through her gloves.

The lenses retract and she gently touches the woman's shoulder, giving her a little shake. When there's no reply, she grabs a health sensor from a utility belt pouch and gently affixes it to her neck. "You've still got a pulse. Good lord," she says, looking up as if at the fall the woman took.

Brunnhilde has posed:
The elegant line of the woman's jaw contrasts with the powerful build underneath. No doubt about this being a warrior even if by human standards she could be a Princess out of some country with those features. Breath is shallow, it's barely there for a moment but then Stephanie seems to get a good read from the sensor, stronger.

The next moment blue eyes are wide open. Staring up directly at Batgirl. Glazed on for a second before they fix directly on her mask even if those eyes look unfocused. "Svartalfar, I am going to..." is she confusing that sleek dark suit with something else? Regardless, she seems to talk perfect english.

A hand reaches up towards Stephanie's arm, sharp and fast.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown is just dropping her lenses back in place as she is going to call for an ambulance to get the woman. Her eyes are focused on the controls for her suit, when in their backdrop she sees Brunnhilde's eyes flutter open wide.

Hearing the anger in Brunnhilde's voice is just enough warning for Batgirl to hop back and avoid the hand that reaches for her arm. And barely at that, the fallen woman seeming freaky fast, especially for someone who just fell from space!

"Easy now, I'm not here to harm you," she says. She doesn't know if Svartalfar is a person, a group, or just an exclamation. A hand goes to hold her collapsed bo staff though she doesn't draw it in the hopes avoiding the sight of the weapon will let her keep this peaceful. "You seemed to fall from space and landed in a field here where I found you," she says towards avoiding hostilities.

Brunnhilde has posed:
The woman stirs as if trying to follow-up on that grab attempt, pale fingertips wide of the elusive Batgirl. Yet the attempt seems to have been more than this mysterious woman can do at the moment, teeth gritting and she exhaling out a sound of pain, "Where am .. I?"

Hand collapses to her side, exhausted as she finally seems to take stock of the pain she is in even if the adrenaline is still keeping some of it away. Not for long though. Regardless, she seems to have figured out Batgirl isn't an enemy, "We can't stay here. They might..." the svartalfar are ruthless where it comes to hunting downed prey.

She struggles again, stubborn against the pain but only goes as far as lifting her torso up for a couple of seconds before she collapses back on the ground, unconscious, overtaken by her wounds.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown lets out a breath as the Valkyrie collapses back and seems to give up on grabbing her. "You're on Earth. New Jersey. Not too far from Gotham City," Batgirl replies. Not quite sure which of those are going to have meaning to her.

"Now if you're done being all grabby hands," Batgirl says, watching Brunnhilde to confirm there are no micro-expressions it is a ploy to get her back into range. Finally she moves forward to crouch beside the woman. "Who is they?" she asks.

Batgirl's lenses are still down and she works the heads up controls. Her Batcycle glides forward, the electric bike making no noise, but the headlight making the approach noticeable. "I just have a motorcycle, so you'll have to hang on to me," she says.

Batgirl goes to lift the other woman as gently as she can. Only to oof. "Ok don't take this wrong but you're a bit heavier than I expected. Haven't been dipping into the Halloween candy early, have you?" she asks the woman who ways about four times more than a human would her size would. "Can you get up with my help?" she offers, willing to try again.

Brunnhilde has posed:
Those *are* familiar words. Sort of. Human cities always had the weirdest names to someone of Asgardian ascent. Not that she complains about it because she's too busy trying to fight through that pain. Eyes open again a few moments later so she can look at Stephanie, "Svartalfar." a pause and one can swear she was rolling her eyes for the split of a second there, "Dark elves."

The fight up at the Starport which had involved various heroes of Earth and Asgard had been news a few months back.

Stephanie approaches again but this time Hilde doesn't reach up to grab her, instead accepting the help as there's a struggle for her to slooowly get up with Stephanie's help, "Are you sure ..., it's wise .., to mention my weight?" the faintest twinges of humor on her tone before she grimaces and then begins that marathon to half-drag, half-be-carried, half-move towards the bike.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Batgirl tries to avoid oofing too audibly as she helps Hilde to her feet. "Hey, when Big Belly Burger brings back the Rib-o-licious each year, I've been known to put on a pound or two. Girl ain't going to judge," she tells Hilde.

The Batcycle coasts forward to stop beside them. Stephanie climbs on, making sure Hilde isn't going to fall over while she does so, then tries to help her onto the back of the bike. She doesn't even make a comment when the shock absorbers sink down a bit from holding over 500 pounds.

"Yeah I've heard of them. Attacked the Atlantic space port," she says. She glances up at the sky for any signs of pursuit. "So what are you? Kind of have a Valkyrie look to you. Asgardian?"