[center][img]https://www.alltimelines.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/dc-blue-beetle-banner.jpg[/img][/center][right][color=7ea7d8][h2]Cowboys And Aliens: Issue #2[/h2][/color][/right][hr][hr][b]Warpath, Texas[/b]

Jaime Reyes had started to direct himself toward the town in search of a landing site, using the makeshift turbo engines strapped to his arms as pseudo flight sticks.

He moved with roughly the same amount of finesse as a bull charging through a China shop. With every burst forward he felt himself lurch and nearly lose control, being forced to wrestle against the force pushing up against his arms to keep from launching head first toward the desert floor. [color=7ea7d8]"Damn it, come on!"[/color] No amount of grumbling or growling was helping him steer any more effectively. The settlement was coming up quick, and if he didn't find [i]something[/i] to land on, he'd accidentally end up smashing through the side of one of these buildings.

A voice carried on the wind reached his ears, nearly sending him toppling over out of surprise.

[color=7ea7d8]"What, who-"[/color] He caught sight of the voice's origin in roughly the same moment that it became clear enough to understand. There was a figure standing atop one of the rickety buildings, shouting about 'fellers' and 'hay' in an accent that Reyes recognized immediately. [color=7ea7d8][i]'I'm back in Texas?'[/i][/color] It was a lucky break, to be sure, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He'd had enough bad luck recently to last a lifetime. He was even luckier that the man had decided to help direct him instead of immediately taking pot shots at what looked like a demonic suit of bug armor straight from hell.

Following the Texan's advice, Jaime started to scan the immediate block of houses for bales of hay. It didn't take long to zero-in on a trailer stuffed from top to bottom with those giant, uncomfortable looking plumps of dead grass. He positioned himself over the trailer, hovering a good forty feet above it to keep the cannons from lighting it all ablaze. [color=7ea7d8]"Here goes nothing."[/color] Reyes sucked in a breath and cut off all four of his engines, letting gravity drag him down to the ground with frightening rapidity. He hit the pile with a loud thud, straw spraying out in every direction as he destroyed several layers of bales in his fall, smacking down against the trailer with enough force to pop the tires. The rest of it was either crushed underneath him, sent rolling off the side or dragged down to topple atop him.

He lay there covered in dried out hay for several seconds, tempted to simply pass out for a few hours. He was in desperate need of the recovery time after everything that had went down, and the fall straight onto his already injured back had done little to lessen the pain he was already in. Reyes might need more than sleep, the more he thought about it; he might need a doctor.

But alas it wasn't to be as the sound of plodding feet drew Reyes out of the tons of hay, his body forcing itself through the side as he rolled off the trailer and hit the dirt with a crunch. Plucks of straw remained lodged in several places along Reyes armor, refusing to come loose no matter how much he shook at it.

The man he had to thank for guiding him here was dressed head to toe like half of the men Reyes knew in El Paso, basically confirming his suspicion that he was, indeed, back home. He didn't recognize this town in particular- it looked like any number of tiny, out of the way hamlets that dotted the state's plains- but it meant he wouldn't need to worry about finding a bus ride back home dressed head to toe like a Martian invader. [color=7ea7d8]"Don't- don't freak out, I'm not gonna hurt ya."[/color] Reyes brought his hands up in front of him to prove he meant no harm, assuming his appearance would calm some alarm in the cowboy- though, thinking back, he'd been quick to offer him help back when he was lighting up the sky like it was the second Battle of London.

It was a bit striking to think about how desensitized most people were to the strange and the impossible these days, but he wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't the first superhuman to land in this guy's backyard. It was going to take some time to get used to the world being the way it was; hell, it'd take even more time coming to grips with the fact that [i]he[/i] was one of the superhumans making life so difficult for everyone else.

Reyes felt obligated to introduce himself, despite the...unique circumstances of the situation. This guy was the reason he hadn't gotten himself into even more trouble by flying through someone's house or landing atop a car. [color=7ea7d8]"Thanks for, uh, helpin' me out back there. My name's..."[/color] Reyes went to introduce himself, only for his eyes to catch something on the horizon. [color=7ea7d8]"My...name's...do you- do you see that?"[/color]

He felt the blood drain from his face at the sight of it.

Jaime had the audacity to think that maybe- for just one moment, he thought that just maybe he was done with being hunted, chased and assaulted at every turn. It had finally looked like he would get a moment of peace to recuperate and rest. But he'd been wrong to think that it was over.

It stood with an eerie stillness atop a nearby hill, looking down at them with eyes full of a ravenous sort of contempt. Even at this distance, Reyes could tell that it was massive. A giant in every sense of the word with wide shoulders and a chest of rippling muscle and tight sinew, all tightly backed into an eight foot tall frame draped in the color of the midnight sky. It didn't move at all, save for the slow rise and fall of it's chest as it infected the air with it's hot, hungry breath.

[color=0072bc][b]'Not compatible.'[/b][/color] The voice of the Scarab snarled, it's voice dripping heavy with an anger that gave Reyes pause.

[color=7ea7d8]"I think you need to go."[/color] Reyes gulped, wrapping his hands into fists. [color=7ea7d8]"I dunno who this guy is, but he looks like trouble."[/color]