[Human!TF] To the Sky
Title: Organic Life (Issue 4)- To the Sky
Fandom: Transformers
Characters: Lance Wen (Bluestreak), Rowan Xia (Prowl)
Rating: PG-13 for slightly disturbing imagery. Nothing worse than CSI though, I think.
General Summary: It's my deranged human!TF AU where there are no wars, giant robots, or giant purple griffins. It's just people living their lives.
Story Summary: Nightmares don't mean much. It's what happens after that counts.
AN: Bluestreak and Prowl wanted their backstory in the open. The got this instead. There is rudimentary Chinese in here, used as titles with a cultural basis more than anything else. "Jiujiu" (jeeOH, 1 syllable) means "uncle", "Baba" means "father" and "Mama" obviously means "mother". If I've missed anything, feel free to harass.
There was a tree. It was a big tree and it was oh so tempting. He wanted to climb it. So, why not?
He gripped the bark firmly, taking in the rough, scratchy feeling of bark under his fingers. Slowly, he pulled himself up limb by limb, scuffing his shoes and scraping his knees a little, but really, wasn't that sort of sacrifice worth it to make it to the top? Something in his mind told him that at the top, everything would be perfect. He reached out and soon he was there. He could just see the light at the top, smell the clouds that he was certain were just out of his reach.
The branch broke.
He fell and he was falling and falling and falling forever. When he hit the ground, he was going to die. He was going to go splat and his bones would break and he'd cough up blood just like that guy in the movies who'd been shot in the back and it would hurt so much. He was screaming loudly, shrieking with wild abandon for help from somebody, anybody, please!
Mama caught him. One moment he was falling, then next he was safe in her arms, clutching at the soft muslin of her dress and breathing in that smell of thyme and rosemary that was protection and comfort and home. He felt her holding him close to her, running her hands over his back to assure his safety and kissing him on the top of his head. She was whispering low, fervent prayers to the gods in Mandarin. He huddled into her, shaking. Safe. He was safe here. Safe for now.
But something was wrong. He looked up from Mama's shoulder and the shadows had risen and they were grinning. The dark shadow men were dancing around Mama, drawing closer and closer and then he felt something wet and sticky spreading across his stomach. He looked down. A dark red patch was leaking from his mother's chest, centering around the shards of glass that protruded from her abdomen. He started back with a gasp, pulling out of his mother's grip. Blood dripped out the side of her mouth as she smiled, holding out her arms and welcoming him back into her embrace.
This time when he screamed, but there wasn't anyone to catch him.
~
Rowan knew something was wrong the moment he entered the house. He kicked off his shoes and threw his coat onto the couch as he ran up the stairs to his nephew's bedroom. He could hear the soft sobs as soon as he opened the door.
Rowan practically threw himself onto the floor by the bed, reaching out to draw his young nephew to his chest.
//He's only a boy. Only a boy and his parents are gone. All that's left is me.//
"Shhh. Shh, xiao lan-se, little blue. I'm here."
And then he had his arms full of sobbing, newly-awakened little boy.
"Jiujiu... t-they're all gone. They were all taken away and they're never coming back, are they??"
Rowan's heart froze to ice. Softly, he rubbed small comforting circles on his nephew's back.
"No... no, they're never coming back."
He drew back and looked his nephew straight in the eye.
"But they'll wait for us. They'll wait and they'll watch over you and me and anyone else they need to until it's time for us to join them. Okay?"
His nephew nodded slowly, hesitantly. Rowan smiled.
"And... Lance. I'm here for you too."
Wide brown eyes stared up at him.
"Forever?"
Rowan blinked. He had to tread carefully here.
"I ... I'd like to think so. I can't promise, though, Blue. Do you understand why?"
And his nephew, his wonderful, brilliant nephew got it. Understanding wove its way through his expression and he nodded with sad determination.
"You ... you might get taken away by accident. Like ... like them. M-my parents."
Rowan nodded solemnly.
"Yes. But I'll do everything I can to prevent that... did your Mama ever tell you what your grandfather, my father's motto was?"
Lance shook his head.
Prowl smiled.
"He was a policeman, your grandfather was. He used to say 'To protect and serve'. That was his way and that is our family's way. We will protect and serve each other even to the cost of our individual well-being, because as a family, we stand strong. Even if it means giving up everything I have, everything I may ever be, I'll give it to make sure that you are happy, Lance. Alright?"
Two gazes met and locked.
Lance broke into a smile and he hugged his guardian, his uncle, tightly around his neck.
"Thanks Jiujiu. I'll remember."
Rowan hugged his nephew, trying to communicate the fierce burning love that blazed within his skin. He understood now, just what the unconditional love between parent and child might mean.
As he made to stand up, Lance tugged at his sleeve.
"Would you... would you stay? I'm scared... don't wanna be alone right now."
Rowan nodded. He loosened the top buttons on his work shirt, then settled on top of the sheets and slung a protective arm over his nephew.
"Just for a little while, okay?"
He rested his chin on top of Lance's chest and held him close, feeling him drift into sleep. The boy was so small right now. So fragile, but so strong.
Rowan looked up at the skies and glared at the heavens.
//Protect him. You've already killed my sister and her husband and if there's any higher power in this universe, you'd better be listening to me, because you. Owe. Him. Keep him safe and strong and healthy and happy. I don't care what happens to me, but please let him have that.//
The stars twinkled, full of wishes and promises for the future.
~
The Way Things Work: That night sparked three threads that would carry through Lance's life. First, a weakness. Lance has never been able to sleep without a night light. He needs some sort of glow to bring him back to the world of the waking. Second, a strength. Lance knew then that he would become a police officer. He tells people that it was the drunk driver that killed his parents that inspired him to join the force, but really... he wants to uphold his family's legacy the best way he can: to protect and serve. Third, a quirk. That night, Prowl started calling Lance 'Lan-Se', or 'Blue'. This was the kick off to Lance's eventual nickname of Bluestreak. He never saw it coming.
Fandom: Transformers
Characters: Lance Wen (Bluestreak), Rowan Xia (Prowl)
Rating: PG-13 for slightly disturbing imagery. Nothing worse than CSI though, I think.
General Summary: It's my deranged human!TF AU where there are no wars, giant robots, or giant purple griffins. It's just people living their lives.
Story Summary: Nightmares don't mean much. It's what happens after that counts.
AN: Bluestreak and Prowl wanted their backstory in the open. The got this instead. There is rudimentary Chinese in here, used as titles with a cultural basis more than anything else. "Jiujiu" (jeeOH, 1 syllable) means "uncle", "Baba" means "father" and "Mama" obviously means "mother". If I've missed anything, feel free to harass.
There was a tree. It was a big tree and it was oh so tempting. He wanted to climb it. So, why not?
He gripped the bark firmly, taking in the rough, scratchy feeling of bark under his fingers. Slowly, he pulled himself up limb by limb, scuffing his shoes and scraping his knees a little, but really, wasn't that sort of sacrifice worth it to make it to the top? Something in his mind told him that at the top, everything would be perfect. He reached out and soon he was there. He could just see the light at the top, smell the clouds that he was certain were just out of his reach.
The branch broke.
He fell and he was falling and falling and falling forever. When he hit the ground, he was going to die. He was going to go splat and his bones would break and he'd cough up blood just like that guy in the movies who'd been shot in the back and it would hurt so much. He was screaming loudly, shrieking with wild abandon for help from somebody, anybody, please!
Mama caught him. One moment he was falling, then next he was safe in her arms, clutching at the soft muslin of her dress and breathing in that smell of thyme and rosemary that was protection and comfort and home. He felt her holding him close to her, running her hands over his back to assure his safety and kissing him on the top of his head. She was whispering low, fervent prayers to the gods in Mandarin. He huddled into her, shaking. Safe. He was safe here. Safe for now.
But something was wrong. He looked up from Mama's shoulder and the shadows had risen and they were grinning. The dark shadow men were dancing around Mama, drawing closer and closer and then he felt something wet and sticky spreading across his stomach. He looked down. A dark red patch was leaking from his mother's chest, centering around the shards of glass that protruded from her abdomen. He started back with a gasp, pulling out of his mother's grip. Blood dripped out the side of her mouth as she smiled, holding out her arms and welcoming him back into her embrace.
This time when he screamed, but there wasn't anyone to catch him.
~
Rowan knew something was wrong the moment he entered the house. He kicked off his shoes and threw his coat onto the couch as he ran up the stairs to his nephew's bedroom. He could hear the soft sobs as soon as he opened the door.
Rowan practically threw himself onto the floor by the bed, reaching out to draw his young nephew to his chest.
//He's only a boy. Only a boy and his parents are gone. All that's left is me.//
"Shhh. Shh, xiao lan-se, little blue. I'm here."
And then he had his arms full of sobbing, newly-awakened little boy.
"Jiujiu... t-they're all gone. They were all taken away and they're never coming back, are they??"
Rowan's heart froze to ice. Softly, he rubbed small comforting circles on his nephew's back.
"No... no, they're never coming back."
He drew back and looked his nephew straight in the eye.
"But they'll wait for us. They'll wait and they'll watch over you and me and anyone else they need to until it's time for us to join them. Okay?"
His nephew nodded slowly, hesitantly. Rowan smiled.
"And... Lance. I'm here for you too."
Wide brown eyes stared up at him.
"Forever?"
Rowan blinked. He had to tread carefully here.
"I ... I'd like to think so. I can't promise, though, Blue. Do you understand why?"
And his nephew, his wonderful, brilliant nephew got it. Understanding wove its way through his expression and he nodded with sad determination.
"You ... you might get taken away by accident. Like ... like them. M-my parents."
Rowan nodded solemnly.
"Yes. But I'll do everything I can to prevent that... did your Mama ever tell you what your grandfather, my father's motto was?"
Lance shook his head.
Prowl smiled.
"He was a policeman, your grandfather was. He used to say 'To protect and serve'. That was his way and that is our family's way. We will protect and serve each other even to the cost of our individual well-being, because as a family, we stand strong. Even if it means giving up everything I have, everything I may ever be, I'll give it to make sure that you are happy, Lance. Alright?"
Two gazes met and locked.
Lance broke into a smile and he hugged his guardian, his uncle, tightly around his neck.
"Thanks Jiujiu. I'll remember."
Rowan hugged his nephew, trying to communicate the fierce burning love that blazed within his skin. He understood now, just what the unconditional love between parent and child might mean.
As he made to stand up, Lance tugged at his sleeve.
"Would you... would you stay? I'm scared... don't wanna be alone right now."
Rowan nodded. He loosened the top buttons on his work shirt, then settled on top of the sheets and slung a protective arm over his nephew.
"Just for a little while, okay?"
He rested his chin on top of Lance's chest and held him close, feeling him drift into sleep. The boy was so small right now. So fragile, but so strong.
Rowan looked up at the skies and glared at the heavens.
//Protect him. You've already killed my sister and her husband and if there's any higher power in this universe, you'd better be listening to me, because you. Owe. Him. Keep him safe and strong and healthy and happy. I don't care what happens to me, but please let him have that.//
The stars twinkled, full of wishes and promises for the future.
~
The Way Things Work: That night sparked three threads that would carry through Lance's life. First, a weakness. Lance has never been able to sleep without a night light. He needs some sort of glow to bring him back to the world of the waking. Second, a strength. Lance knew then that he would become a police officer. He tells people that it was the drunk driver that killed his parents that inspired him to join the force, but really... he wants to uphold his family's legacy the best way he can: to protect and serve. Third, a quirk. That night, Prowl started calling Lance 'Lan-Se', or 'Blue'. This was the kick off to Lance's eventual nickname of Bluestreak. He never saw it coming.