FIC: Lights Out (1/1)
Title: Lights Out (1/1)
Author: Daemonikk
Summary: CC and Destro are seperated in their cells, but there's so much that still needs to be said about the state they're in. Word count: ~1350 words.
Rating: PG, I think.
Notes: There are spoilers for the end of the movie, though that shouldn't be much of an issue for anyone. There's some angst, as usual. If you're all very good, there may be a vaguely-related oneshot involving radio phonesex.
“Commander?”
It was eerie inside the cell tube, the only light coming from the dim glow of the plasma-core laser bar system. He scowled a little, remembering that his company was the only one that manufactured plasma-core laser bar systems. Now, wasn't that interesting...
“...Commander?” he called again. He straightened his scorch-ruined jacket, lamenting absently at the loss of his nice cufflinks. It seemed laughable now, after all the time he'd spent in small helicopters, subaquatic bases, even goddamned submarines, but this close, stifling darkness was really getting to him. He couldn't stretch out at all, his legs hurt from standing, and at least in a submarine there was usually light. And he was alone...
Right when he felt his pulse rate start to climb in unreasoning panic, he heard the softest knocking sound over the light buzz of the lasers, more like a scrape than a real knock, like someone trying not to be heard. Or someone with delicate skin over his knuckles.
He breathed a soft sigh of relief. Just over there, it was okay, he wasn't alone.
There was a gentle vibration from his inner-left jacket pocket. He furrowed his brows a moment in bewilderment, then reached in to see what it was. Opening his hand and peering into what little light he had to work with, he almost laughed. His watch. Of course, his watch, how had he not thought of it before? Probably because he had assumed the Joes had confiscated it. He shrugged to himself. Really now, what kind of an arrest is it if there isn't even a decent search? Very sloppy.
It was an ingenious communication device, hidden inside the watch casing. One of the best ideas that Rex had ever had...
Rex. He saddened briefly, remembering Rex as he had been before all of this had started, and how they had gotten to this point. Not the time for emotionalism now, however. He hit the small button above the twelve on the watch-face and spoke quietly as possible.
“Can you hear me, Commander?” His voice sounded dead and flat; even to him, his hurt and betrayal seemed obvious. Damn.
“...Yes.”
The silence was thicker than he had expected. He wanted to feel anger, but he couldn't find it in him. He just felt tired. He ran a gloved hand over the cool, alien smoothness of his new visage and sighed.
“...I suppose it would seem rather beside the point at this juncture, but... Why did you do it? This metal business here... Did I fail you somehow?” he whispered, closing his eyes.
He could hear the familiar hiss of his old scientist's breathing apparatus. He wished he could cry, but nothing would come out.
Rex squeezed his eyes closed against the restrained despair in his companion's voice. His end of the two-way communications circuit was a one-click open-speech console hidden within his new mask, bypassing the voice alteration circuits so he could speak normally. It had been designed for open communication so he would not have to stop working to speak. Now, it just meant he was forced to hear every pained whisper in crystal clarity.
“You have never failed me... James. You've always been...”
He wanted to sigh. This was difficult. He had never found it easy to deal with these kinds of emotions, preferring to lock them away and focus on research. That wasn't an option now, and James was clearly coming apart.
“...It might be difficult to understand right now, but this wasn't a punishment. You tried to save me. So I tried to save you. The nanomites were not fully ready to be tested, I hadn't the time...”
“So you tested them on me?”
“You were burnt so badly, you were screaming... There was no time to explain. I had designed them to seal over and heal burnt flesh without scar formation or any mental faculty manipulation, so that in the event that... this... might happen...”
He rubbed his wrists and fingers, a nervous habit. He kept his eyes closed, willing away the cold guilt and self-loathing that coiled in his stomach.
“...So that if you were... damaged, you wouldn't have to live with looking like this. Like me.”
He heard James' stunned silence, felt it drag on like a knifepoint trailed slowly over his skin. He dropped his voice an octave. “It will take time, of course, now that the lab and equipment have been destroyed. But I am confident that your face will be able to be fully restored, and your mind will always stay your own, I promise you. I'm... I am sorry, James. I just wanted you to be safe from... this.” He gestured uselessly at his face, knowing James couldn't see it but could probably imagine his action anyway.
“... For once, you've caught me at a loss for words, Commander,” came James' voice through the speakers, whispering into his ears with a hint of a nervous laugh to try and break the tension. Rex chuckled lowly in answer, smiling grimly into his mask.
“We're alone now. The battle's over, for the moment. You can call me Rex, you know.”
“Rex. God, Rex...” The way he said his name felt like a caress, like a frightened lover now overcome with relief. Which, Rex supposed he must admit, was precisely what James was, in all probability. There was no one to see them now, no reason to hide behind professionalism.
“Can you forgive me?” Rex murmured, dropping his head to rub ineffectually at the tension crippling his neck. “Everything else, I can replace and start again, but you...”
There was another soft laugh in his ears. “For a genius, you can really act like a fool sometimes. Of course I can. And I do.”
Rex let out a breath he was not aware he'd been holding. “Thank you,” he whispered, barely audible above the gentle sigh of his respirator.
There was a warm kind of silence over the speakers. Finally, James spoke, his voice hesitant with seldom-expressed emotion. “I'd... I'd much prefer it if you were here with me.”
Rex reached his hand between the bars to touch the cold metal shielding. “I'm right here, James,” he whispered, softly knocking on it before holding his hand spread flat against the metal. He heard the answering knock echoing from barely six feet away, then the slight brushing sound of another hand being laid against metal. He smiled.
“Keep that watch hidden, and save the battery power as much as you can. We'll be together again soon. In a few days, Zartan will send for our release. We can go to your family's estate if you like,” Rex offered. James had tried to talk him into visiting there many times before, but he'd always been too busy in the lab to acquiesce to his wishes. Perhaps this offer would help James get his mind off the claustrophobia he'd tried so hard to hide. “You'll never have to see this cramped little cellar ever again.”
There was a small snort of revulsion in his ears. “Never would be too soon for this place.” There was less tension in his voice now, however.
Rex carefully lowered himself to the floor, sitting cross-legged out of the range of the lasers. He heard the rustling as James followed his example. He ran his gloved fingers lightly over the leather of one Italian leather wingtip; the pair had been an anniversary gift from his similarly caged companion. If what they had could be called an anniversary.
“I know I never tell you, James. It's just not my way, you understand that. But you know I do,” Rex whispered, his voice as close to tender as it was possible for him.
“I know. I love you too, Rex.” The warm voice was followed by a metallic click as the signal was ended.
Rex smiled a little to himself, and pulled his jacket around himself a little tighter to stave off the cold that so affected him. He'd never admit it, and in fact had killed people for even hypothesising such a thing, but he felt better now. Safer.
Author: Daemonikk
Summary: CC and Destro are seperated in their cells, but there's so much that still needs to be said about the state they're in. Word count: ~1350 words.
Rating: PG, I think.
Notes: There are spoilers for the end of the movie, though that shouldn't be much of an issue for anyone. There's some angst, as usual. If you're all very good, there may be a vaguely-related oneshot involving radio phonesex.
“Commander?”
It was eerie inside the cell tube, the only light coming from the dim glow of the plasma-core laser bar system. He scowled a little, remembering that his company was the only one that manufactured plasma-core laser bar systems. Now, wasn't that interesting...
“...Commander?” he called again. He straightened his scorch-ruined jacket, lamenting absently at the loss of his nice cufflinks. It seemed laughable now, after all the time he'd spent in small helicopters, subaquatic bases, even goddamned submarines, but this close, stifling darkness was really getting to him. He couldn't stretch out at all, his legs hurt from standing, and at least in a submarine there was usually light. And he was alone...
Right when he felt his pulse rate start to climb in unreasoning panic, he heard the softest knocking sound over the light buzz of the lasers, more like a scrape than a real knock, like someone trying not to be heard. Or someone with delicate skin over his knuckles.
He breathed a soft sigh of relief. Just over there, it was okay, he wasn't alone.
There was a gentle vibration from his inner-left jacket pocket. He furrowed his brows a moment in bewilderment, then reached in to see what it was. Opening his hand and peering into what little light he had to work with, he almost laughed. His watch. Of course, his watch, how had he not thought of it before? Probably because he had assumed the Joes had confiscated it. He shrugged to himself. Really now, what kind of an arrest is it if there isn't even a decent search? Very sloppy.
It was an ingenious communication device, hidden inside the watch casing. One of the best ideas that Rex had ever had...
Rex. He saddened briefly, remembering Rex as he had been before all of this had started, and how they had gotten to this point. Not the time for emotionalism now, however. He hit the small button above the twelve on the watch-face and spoke quietly as possible.
“Can you hear me, Commander?” His voice sounded dead and flat; even to him, his hurt and betrayal seemed obvious. Damn.
“...Yes.”
The silence was thicker than he had expected. He wanted to feel anger, but he couldn't find it in him. He just felt tired. He ran a gloved hand over the cool, alien smoothness of his new visage and sighed.
“...I suppose it would seem rather beside the point at this juncture, but... Why did you do it? This metal business here... Did I fail you somehow?” he whispered, closing his eyes.
He could hear the familiar hiss of his old scientist's breathing apparatus. He wished he could cry, but nothing would come out.
Rex squeezed his eyes closed against the restrained despair in his companion's voice. His end of the two-way communications circuit was a one-click open-speech console hidden within his new mask, bypassing the voice alteration circuits so he could speak normally. It had been designed for open communication so he would not have to stop working to speak. Now, it just meant he was forced to hear every pained whisper in crystal clarity.
“You have never failed me... James. You've always been...”
He wanted to sigh. This was difficult. He had never found it easy to deal with these kinds of emotions, preferring to lock them away and focus on research. That wasn't an option now, and James was clearly coming apart.
“...It might be difficult to understand right now, but this wasn't a punishment. You tried to save me. So I tried to save you. The nanomites were not fully ready to be tested, I hadn't the time...”
“So you tested them on me?”
“You were burnt so badly, you were screaming... There was no time to explain. I had designed them to seal over and heal burnt flesh without scar formation or any mental faculty manipulation, so that in the event that... this... might happen...”
He rubbed his wrists and fingers, a nervous habit. He kept his eyes closed, willing away the cold guilt and self-loathing that coiled in his stomach.
“...So that if you were... damaged, you wouldn't have to live with looking like this. Like me.”
He heard James' stunned silence, felt it drag on like a knifepoint trailed slowly over his skin. He dropped his voice an octave. “It will take time, of course, now that the lab and equipment have been destroyed. But I am confident that your face will be able to be fully restored, and your mind will always stay your own, I promise you. I'm... I am sorry, James. I just wanted you to be safe from... this.” He gestured uselessly at his face, knowing James couldn't see it but could probably imagine his action anyway.
“... For once, you've caught me at a loss for words, Commander,” came James' voice through the speakers, whispering into his ears with a hint of a nervous laugh to try and break the tension. Rex chuckled lowly in answer, smiling grimly into his mask.
“We're alone now. The battle's over, for the moment. You can call me Rex, you know.”
“Rex. God, Rex...” The way he said his name felt like a caress, like a frightened lover now overcome with relief. Which, Rex supposed he must admit, was precisely what James was, in all probability. There was no one to see them now, no reason to hide behind professionalism.
“Can you forgive me?” Rex murmured, dropping his head to rub ineffectually at the tension crippling his neck. “Everything else, I can replace and start again, but you...”
There was another soft laugh in his ears. “For a genius, you can really act like a fool sometimes. Of course I can. And I do.”
Rex let out a breath he was not aware he'd been holding. “Thank you,” he whispered, barely audible above the gentle sigh of his respirator.
There was a warm kind of silence over the speakers. Finally, James spoke, his voice hesitant with seldom-expressed emotion. “I'd... I'd much prefer it if you were here with me.”
Rex reached his hand between the bars to touch the cold metal shielding. “I'm right here, James,” he whispered, softly knocking on it before holding his hand spread flat against the metal. He heard the answering knock echoing from barely six feet away, then the slight brushing sound of another hand being laid against metal. He smiled.
“Keep that watch hidden, and save the battery power as much as you can. We'll be together again soon. In a few days, Zartan will send for our release. We can go to your family's estate if you like,” Rex offered. James had tried to talk him into visiting there many times before, but he'd always been too busy in the lab to acquiesce to his wishes. Perhaps this offer would help James get his mind off the claustrophobia he'd tried so hard to hide. “You'll never have to see this cramped little cellar ever again.”
There was a small snort of revulsion in his ears. “Never would be too soon for this place.” There was less tension in his voice now, however.
Rex carefully lowered himself to the floor, sitting cross-legged out of the range of the lasers. He heard the rustling as James followed his example. He ran his gloved fingers lightly over the leather of one Italian leather wingtip; the pair had been an anniversary gift from his similarly caged companion. If what they had could be called an anniversary.
“I know I never tell you, James. It's just not my way, you understand that. But you know I do,” Rex whispered, his voice as close to tender as it was possible for him.
“I know. I love you too, Rex.” The warm voice was followed by a metallic click as the signal was ended.
Rex smiled a little to himself, and pulled his jacket around himself a little tighter to stave off the cold that so affected him. He'd never admit it, and in fact had killed people for even hypothesising such a thing, but he felt better now. Safer.