nextgenerationmarvel | Coping Mechanism (Kassi)

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Coping Mechanism (Kassi)

Texas Marion was correct in her belief that Tommy had a way to deal with the events of the demon invasion of New York. Were he a normal man with a nine-to-five job like, say, Dawn or most of America, he might have just had a couple of beers and slept off the experiences of that day and chalked it all up to being a mass hallucination that he would never have the misfortune of participating in again. After all, the entire story was so crazy that no one would believe it that wasn't there. Even then, Tommy could have pretended it never happened and carried that belief to his grave. After the fight with the monsters, he'd thought of catching up with Joe and Roxanne and just staying in one place for a while.

Mephisto's voice in his head ruined that idea immediately.

"Excellent work, Ghost Rider. Dormammu's incursion could not have been allowed to succeed. Your...allies were of use but do not believe that they can save you from your fate. You are mine, now and forever. For now, I leave you to your own devices until such time as I have need of you again."

Tommy didn't both saying good-bye to the others and he didn't leave a forwarding number. He simply hopped on his bike and rode out of New York like a bat out of hell, not stopping until he almost laid his bike down outside of Chicago. He'd spent the last few weeks moving from town to town, taking down criminals and allowing the Rider out at night when his willpower finally failed him.

One evening he remembered to look up long enough to find himself in New Oreleans, Louisiana. He'd spent most of the evening on Bourbon Street drinking until he could barely stand and then stumbled out of the bar into the hot, humid night. He passed the crooks, thieves and other riffraff of the city, wandered beyond the canals and managed to get down to the waterfront. He stared at the water and a thought crossed his alcohol-fueled mind.

It would be so easy to just head right in and not walk out. Just a few minutes and no more Mephisto, no more sharing my body with a demon...and no more bein' afraid of going to Hell. No more putting it off.

Before he knew it, Tommy was heading down into the water.

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Tommy ignored the possible double entendre in Kassi's words and took one last drink.

"Wings sound great right now. Drinkin' works up an appetite." he said.

"Where you thinkin' of headin'?"

"There's a place a few blocks east of here. We'd have to get them and take them somewhere because they're the only place down here that seems to close at night, but I've got a hideout where we can go."

Kassi shook her head as she stood up.

"You are the soberest drunk guy I think I've ever drank with. Most surface guys are passed out long before now. I think I might have just found someone who can keep up with me."

She smiled at him and then went over to say something to the bartender before paying him not in cash or on plastic but in a few colored gemstones and some gold.

"Let's go get some wings and cause some trouble, eh?"

"I'm just full of surprises." he said in regards to his tolerance. He'd also tried to drink himself to death right after he'd come back from the other side.

Mephisto put a stop to that really fast.

Tommy nodded and watched as Kassi paid the bartender and wondered where she got gemstones and gold but then remembered all of the stories of ships that had crashed in the ocean over the years. They probably had more money than the whole U.S. combined.

"Wings it is, then. Question, though. Are there really seven seas or is that just a sayin'?" Tommy asked.

"Well, if you're Muslim geographer from the 9th century trying to get to China there are only really seven that count: Fars, Larwi, Harkand, Kalah, Salahit, Kardanj, and Sanji. In reality there are over a hundred. The ocean's a huge place. And it's amazing, but the truth be told my favorite places aren't underwater."

"I didn't know the waters had real names." Tommy said.

"What's your favorite place in the world?" he asked her.

"Every body of water has a name. The world's a big place so it's hard to pick one but one of my favorites is actually kind of near here."

"Where is it? You mind showin' me?"

"It's a little island out just past what's officially the gulf. I'd be happy to show you if you don't mind flying Kassi Airlines. And we have to get the chicken wings first."

"Wait, you said fly? I...I don't fly. It's not safe." Tommy said.

He took a deep breath.

"Let's the get chicken wings and then see what happens."

"It wouldn't be in a plane. I can fly. I'd carry you. It isn't far at all."

"...all right. We can fly, then. Just, uh, go easy on me. I'm not a great flyer." Tommy said.

He was not sure where this was going but he was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. She was pretty and, better still, she was buying.

"You'll be okay. I promise."

She slapped his shoulder a bit and continued making the way to acquire chicken. The place they went to sold the wings in giant buckets. Kassi ordered two, then headed back towards the beach.

"I'm going to need you to hold on tight."

Tommy looked at the two buckets of wings. He was a big guy and he could eat but two FULL buckets of wings? He'd managed to down twenty. ONCE. With beer and he'd had to try. The following day he felt sick.

He looked Kassi over once again.

If she could eat all of this....

"All right. I can do that." Tommy said, attempting to holding on tight without crushing her.

Kassi shifted his hold a bit to enable her to better maneuver and then encouraged him to hold tighter. She held the plastic bag with the buckets o'wings in her free hand.

"I would suggest that you not look down. I don't want you to freak out and let go of me. I won't drop you. You'll be okay."

She didn't wait for him to say anything. Instead she lifted them up off the ground. He'd soon feel the cool ocean wind on his face and ruffling through his hair. They were only airborne for maybe half an hour.

"Pull your legs up a bit, like bending your knees. We need to land now."

Once he had done so she brought them down, landing them gently in soft sand just downhill from a small white beach house.

Tommy did as Kassi said so that they could land, noting the white beach house. He wondered if it was hers or if it was just a place she knew was abandoned.

"Damn, this is a nice house. If it's yours, I salute you." Tommy said, giving a whistle of appreciation.

"Where are we?" he asked her, looking around the area. It wasn't familiar to him but if he was outside the United States, it was the first time.

"It's technically my Mom's, though she hasn't been here since she and my Dad split and the actual island is the only surface land mass that falls under the Atlantean flag. It's also not on any map. C'mon, let me show you how cool it is inside."

"Your parents split up? That sucks. It's a harsh way to live. You got any brothers and sisters?" he asked.

"I've got a half sister and...a complicated half brother sort of." Kassi ran her hand along the door frame of the house and procured a small silver key. With it she unlocked the door, flipped on some lights and let Tommy in.

"It honestly wasn't terrible. You can leave your shoes by the door if you want."

"Huh. I don't talk to my parents anymore. Both of my old men are dead and my mother ain't in a real good place." Tommy said.

He took off his boots at the door, hoping they weren't too much of mess to leave inside.

"You come here often?"

"As often as I can. It's quiet here and I can do pretty much as I please. There are no expectations of me here. Wings?" She sat down the buckets of wings on the coffee table before flopping onto a couch.

"No expectations is a good thing. Sometimes people want way more than you can give 'em and it strangles you." Tommy said, as though he understood what she was getting at. He sat down and grabbed a bucket of the wings, taking one to eat.

"Damn, these are good." he said, taking another bite.

"That would be why I got two buckets. These are the best wings in the entire world. Normal food limits do not apply." Kassi grabbed a bucket and a wing. "Don't worry about manners. You can just put the bones right on the coffee table."

"I got a better idea. I'll grab another plate and we can put 'em on that. I'd feel weird messin' up your nice coffee table. That thing looks more expensive than the last motel I stayed in and my mama always told me to respect another person's house." he said in his Midwestern drawl.

He bit into another wing.

"So how does a princess get time off from her royal duties to come hang out with us surface people? Do you have to promise to come home every few days and report back or what?" he asked.

"Or are you just tellin' all the Atlanteans where the best food on the surface is?" he teased.

"I'm half surface person. Sort of. Anyway, I've always sort of split my time and I tend to have a rebellious streak ten miles wide so I pretty much do what I want. I also just finished up War Games so I've earned some downtime."

Kassi killed another wing.

"Most Atlanteans don't like surface food at all, actually."

"Well, I guess that leaves more for us. What do you guys eat under the sea, anyway?" he asked.

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