thefolder | This Ship Is Taking Me Far Away

Entry tags:

This Ship Is Taking Me Far Away

Who: Wheeljack and Leatherhead
What: Stargazing fun and what not
Where: Roaming park
When: Sometime at night

[When they fished through the remains of the Friendship District, Wheeljack told Leatherhead about the stars. With his life in the sewers and the constant air pollution, the ex-gator never got a chance to see it.

But Wheeljack offered to show it to him, and with someone like Wheeljack, Leatherhead didn't even think to refuse. The adult ex-Cybertronian took him under his wing.

At sundown, he showed up at the place he said they'd meet, the park. Duke came along, just for the sake of looking for an opportunity to show off his use to the big guy.

Together they sat on a bench, waiting for the ex-robot to show up.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[And he came, right on schedule. It's not like he had a reason to be late, after all. Stars were something he knew--you could chart em by heart if you spent enough time with them. And for Wheeljack, centuries was more than enough time.

He arrives at the park just as the last sliver of sunlight sinks beyond the horizon, You and Him adorning his shoulders. It was just natural by now, to have them clinging to him.

When he shows up at the bench, there's a little two fingered salute.]

Hey kid.

[Leatherhead instantly gets up from the bench, his posture a little more lively than two seconds before. Duke, still seated, gives a small shake of his head, as if to say "Oh it's you."

The bigger teenager looked up at the sky, anticipating the watching they would do. He looked forward to this for a long time.]

When do the stars come out?

[Wheeljack looks up in return, noticing the sky turn from it's magenta to dark blue, then tilting his head towards a patch of grass. Nothing special about it, just out in the open with no trees nearby. That's the best way to see them, after all.]

Right about now. C'mon, you're gonna want a front row seat.

[You gestures for Duke to follow, with Him trailing along after her.]

[The sky was a lovely color. He rarely noticed the subtlety back home...or in Dimension X, where it was always that hazy purple, from what he saw. He follows Wheeljack, Duke eventually going after them as well.]

You know, it's not like the sky's THAT bad in the city...

[Leatherhead ignores Duke, choosing a spot in the grass.]

Did you watch the stars this often at your home?

[The atmosphere was so much different than Wheeljack was used to. Not many planets had that ozone layer, or cloud coverage that Earth (or any dimension of it) had. It was usually just stars, any time of the day or night.

Wheeljack sits next to him, arms crossed around his knees. He's quieter than normal, as the glow of his eyes really starts to show in the dark. Like little stars themselves.]

All the time. Traveled through em for centuries.

More familiar than anythin', now.

[Leatherhead instantly notices the glow in Wheeljack's eyes. He never really saw it this close before.

He leans back, ready to take in whatever sights lay before him.]

You mean you traveled up there...without a transmat device?

[And slowly, little specks of light pop up in the sky one by one, as if the darkness woke them up. And it shows in Wheeljack's face too. This was something familiar. Something he knew.

It was like traveling a long journey and finally making it back to your home town.]

Yeeep. Musta flown through half a dozen systems, lookin' for Autobot refugees.

Stars look different here, not exactly in the same spots...but close enough.

[It may seem weird, but to Leatherhead they looked like eyes. They looked like eyes loving and laughing and without a doubt in their heart. It was like seeing the eyes of someone you love.

He hears his friend's tale of space travel, looking back to the stars.]

All those worlds...and the freedom to go and leave as you wish...

[He sighed, a noise that sounded wistful.]

I would love to feel that.

Edited 2013-12-21 05:49 (UTC)

[Wheeljack wouldn't really disagree. He'd spend years looking at them as he traveled the cosmos. Alone. And sometimes, he'd have conversations with them, like they were old friends.

His head tilts down, fiddling with the sleeve of his jacket idly.]

Didn't get out much, huh.

[He instantly freezes at the question. Duke notices. The digimon could blab it if her wanted, but he only knew so little...

Leatherhead shakes his head yes.]

I did not get the chance to get out.

[Wheeljack's gaze set on the kid, unchanging. He didn't want to pry, but at the same time...]

If ya need to vent...

I'll listen.

[Probably wouldn't understand, but was that really the important part? Sometimes just getting it out, off your chest...that was enough.]

[There's a moment's hesitation there. He feels unsure about a lot of this.]

I do not wish to burden you...

[He notices that, moving his gaze away to look at the stars.]

Ya won't. But if ya feel uncomfortable about it...

Talk to them.

[He nods towards the stars this time.]

[The stars.

Yes...even with someone as close as Wheeljack it was hard. But with the stars...it was different. He could pretend they were the eyes of Michelangelo.

He lays back, looking directly at the stars.]

I was a small alligator, taken by a young human who loved me very much...his parents did not. They flushed me down to the sewers...

That is where the Kraang found me. They are a terrible race of beings, living in bodies of metal while they have none of their own. They took me to their world...Dimension X. They changed me, used me in their experiments.

[He glances at the scar hidden by his shirt, going back to the stars.]

They did things to me...but I felt determined to escape. I broke from their prison...and came to Earth.

[He shuddered. Telling this to someone other than the turtles...felt strange.]

It was all I knew.

Edited 2013-12-22 06:09 (UTC)

[It was something Wheeljack used to do often when traveling through galaxies. Open space could get pretty lonely, and planets with life were few and far in between.

Stars were good listeners. They didn't judge you.

They could keep secrets.

But when Leatherhead starts to talk, he listens with them, keeping his eyes focused on the flecks of light above. So Leatherhead had seen more in his short lifetime than most should.]

You're free now, yeah?

[It helped lift a heavy anchor in his head, that's for sure. He kept it in for so long mostly because he thought no one wanted to hear about. They had such happy lives. They didn't need that.

He still focuses on the stars, the talk bringing him a new feeling of weightlessness. The stars were still here, right?]

I never want to go back.

[He still saw Donnie's future, he saw what'd happen to him. His heart kept fighting against that, as much as all logic told him he couldn't be here forever.

Duke silently listened to Leatherhead, knowing full well what the future held for him, seeing that same memory leak.]

Yeah, just stay with us, Heather.

[Oh Leatherhead, you'll find out that a lot of the people you know are carrying baggage. Wheeljack can only smile, as the alligator studies the stars. It was odd how much the kid reminded him of...

well...him.

There's no more words, lying back to look at the stars too. After all, this wasn't his conversation.]

I don't blame you...that sounds so awful...

You have to do what's right for you, Leatherhead. But we'll be behind you, know that.

[He appreciated the input, but he liked talking to the stars for now. It made him feel more open than normal.]

I hope we can have a choice...I hope Michelangelo stays with me.

[Wheeljack notices, and holds a hand up for his two Digimon to cease the talking. And almost immediately, they bound over to him, settling on his stomach as he lies on his back.

There's a 'Hmm' of encouragement, continuing to look at the stars. They were always constant, even here.

It was enough for him.]

[That being said, he does appreciate his friend's company. He prolly never would have been able to do it without his help.]

I have a life here...back on Earth...on Dimension X, I have nothing but Michelangelo...

And I am not sure if we will remember once we return.

[By now, Wheeljack's eyes had closed, taking comfort in the night sky being the focus of the conversation.]

We better.

Places like this are push n' pull. Like cosmic shores. Everythin' it takes when the tide comes in, it always gives somethin' back.

[And at that moment he finally speaks to Wheeljack.]

Do you think so?

I would not give up my memories here for anything.

...

[That head turns towards the kid, a smirk slowly spread across his face.]

Ya know what? Me neither. We got good deals here--second chances.

[That smile is infectious, dad.]

Did you have this many people around you before this place?

It is nice.

[You're telling him.]

Once. Back when I was in the Wreckers. Band of brothers and all.

...speaking of. Wanted to ask you somethin'.

They sound like good people...

[Before he can dwell on the memory leak, he turns to the Wrecker.]

...yes?

Heh, you could say that. Done a lot of things we regret, but we were loyal to each other.

...

[He pulls his jacket collar down, showing a tattoo of the Autobot symbol on the back of his neck.]

See this?

[Oh hey a marking. He nods, fascinated by it.]

It is a symbol of your group?

It's the symbol for me, Arcee...

[His voice drops a bit, obviously still trying to get over this next part.]

Magnus...you know. Autobots.

[He nearly forgot about Magnus. He and robotdad must have been real close.]

You are Autobots?

[Not to start, but Magnus had quite an effect on him while he was here, to say the least.]

Right.

Back home, we all got this symbol somewhere on us. To show allegiance.

...

Wanna know if you want one.

[He examines the symbol, fascinated by it the more he listened to the Wrecker talk.]

Before this place I had never belonged to anyone...

But now...I wish to belong...and maybe it shall remind me of my time here...

[It's just a small hope, that's all.]

[And that's all Wheeljack needs, putting the collar of his coat back up and placing a hand on the larger man's shoulder. Gripping it firmly.]

We'll get ya one, kid.

But consider yourself one of us now.

[He...he had no idea what to say.

So let him substitute hugs for words. He gets up to deliver a small one to Wheeljack, happy tears streaming down his eyes.]

[Hugs are still new to him--even when Bulkhead did them, he'd just hang there limply. Which is what he does right now, for a moment, before gingerly wrapping his arms around.

This was okay.]

[Wiping at his eyes, he finally speaks.]

Thank you...for letting me into your family...

I didn't let ya in, kid.

You made your own way.

I...it feels good...to have someone to call family again.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

This Ship Is Taking Me Far Away

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject