Rise in Revolution (Chapter Thirty-Eight)
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saladloveChapter list: https://tanadin.dreamwidth.org/650.html
World map: http://tanadin.deviantart.com/art/Kaldri
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Breakthrough
Xela’s computer setup, Sector SOV. March 28, 2272. Time instance 842N.
It was around dawn when the door slammed open. Xela growled quietly and spun around, about to demand what the fuck they thought they were doing, but froze at the sight of Scott leaning heavily on Clash. All of his exposed skin was burned and he seemed to be trying to look like he was fine but flinched at every slight movement they made.
“What happened?” Xela demanded, jumping to her feet and moving forward to help Clash set him down.
“He thought the sun wouldn’t be as bad as you said and stayed out later than he should have,” Clash told her, shaking nervously. “He thought he could make it back and he couldn’t and now he’s burned and-”
“Shhhh. It’s okay. He’ll be okay.” Xela knelt by Scott’s side and took his arm, ignoring the quiet hiss of pain, and inspected his skin. “This could have been far worse. Scara can probably heal this without too much difficulty.” He let go of his arm and shook a finger at him. “What did I tell you? Fledgling vampires burn almost immediately! You can’t be out in the sun for more than thirty seconds or so!”
Scott mumbled something under his breath that Xela didn’t bother asking him to repeat, instead getting to her feet.
“Clash, could you go get Scara? Neither Scott nor I are particularly capable of that right now.”
Clash nodded and silently left the room, looking over his shoulder sadly at Scott as he left.
“This hurts,” Scott complained.
“No fucking shit. You’re burned all over, you stupid boy.”
“I thought you were exaggerating about how fast it burns.”
“You’ll find I rarely exaggerate about anything that serious. In any case, I suppose I can’t judge you too harshly.” Xela grinned ruefully. “I was a fledgling vampire once, too.”
Clash returned with Scara a couple of minutes later. Scara immediately crossed her arms as she looked at Scott, frowning.
“How did you manage to do this to yourself?”
Scott shrugged. “I went out in the sun.”
“I’ve never seen sunburns this bad! How-”
“Have you looked at his eyes recently, Scara?” Xela asked.
“What? Why would I- what the hell.”
“Vampirism does weird things to people’s eyes,” Xela told her. “Would you be so kind as to heal him?”
Scara glanced between them a few times before nodding and sitting next to Scott, putting her hands on his arm and closing her eyes to focus. A faint green glow emanated from her hands and the burns started to fade. The glow moved up and down Scott’s arm to include other burned areas until they too healed.
Xela watched as Scara worked, fascinated, and resolved to pepper her with questions once she was done. She didn’t know much about healing magic, but she could always stand to know more.
“Why were you out so late, anyway?” she eventually asked Scott.
He grinned. “Oh, just messing with some people. Nothing important.”
~~~
“Someone’s been in here,” Kyir mumbled, looking around the workshop.
Cataclysm raised an eyebrow and looked around the room. “How can you tell?”
“Something’s off.” Kyir slowly moved around, examining everything carefully.
“It looks the same to me.”
“You don’t know this place as well as I do.” While it wasn’t his usual workshop, Kyir got quickly attached to and protective of anywhere he did much mechanical work.
Cataclysm shrugged and went to sit down in his customary chair. “I think you’re just tired. Who would come in here to mess with your workshop?”
“I don’t know.” Kyir sighed and sat down as well, leaning back in his chair. “Someone.”
“You’re paranoid.”
“You’re lazy.”
“I’m not lazy! I’m just more worried about other things than your tired paranoia thinking that people have been messing with your stuff!”
“Someone has been in here!” Kyir insisted.
Cataclysm rolled his single eye. “Whatever you say.”
~~~
Tac fidgeted as they walked, metal fingers drumming a rhythm against her arms.
“Maybe Nine was wrong,” she said nervously. “Maybe he isn’t over here.”
“Tac…” Shawn looked over at her, frowning slightly.
“I know, I know, I’ve been putting it off, but…”
“It’ll be okay,” Shawn assured. “He’s your brother. It’s right there in the files. He’ll probably be happy to find someone from his past- he has no idea who he was and might be upset about that.”
“Maybe,” Tac mumbled, trying to keep herself from shaking. What if he doesn’t believe me? What if he hates me? What if he remembers what happened and blames me? It’s my fault, it’s my fault, it’s my fault…
As if knowing what was going through her mind, Shawn reached out and gently put a hand on her arm. Tac looked up at him as he spoke.
“You’ll be okay, Tac. I know you will.”
Tac nodded slightly and continued walking, taking a deep breath when they reached the door to the building that Nine had directed them to. She let Shawn open the door but reluctantly led the way in, casting her eyes around at the various cyborgs they passed and not seeing him.
She wasn’t sure if that was a relief or not.
After a couple of minutes, Shawn tapped her shoulder. “Is that him?” He pointed, his voice a whisper.
Tac looked where he had indicated and recognized him immediately. She took a shaky breath and forced herself to step forward towards the cyborg, who quickly noted her presence and looked at her, curious, as she stopped in front of him. She quickly noted that both of his legs, some of his chest, his left arm, and left eye had all been replaced with metal.
“Yes?” His voice was neither friendly nor hostile. He probably thinks I have a message for him. She glanced at his unit number to double-check who he was before speaking.
“Hi.” Shit. “I’m...I’m Tac Avilena. I’m your sister.”
He stared at her uncomprehendingly for a moment before blinking a few times. “My...sister? From before I was a cyborg? You knew me?”
“Yes! We’re twins, I’ve known you a pretty long time!”
“Really?” His mind seemed to be racing, likely searching through files and finding hers to see if what she said was true. “I don’t...remember, but…” He paused as he reached the right part of the file and a grin spread across his face. “You’re right! You’re right! Tac!” He stepped forward and hugged her tightly, fortunately mindful of his robotic arm.
“Matt!” Tac hugged him tightly in return, smiling and struggling not to laugh in relief as all of the anxiety in her system suddenly flooded out.
“You need to tell me all about who I was,” he said as he took a step back. “Soon. When I’m not busy.”
“I will,” Tac assured. “Don’t worry. I have plenty to say.”
“Is all of it nice?”
“It might be.”
“That’s reassuring.”
~~~
Scott poured some more of the paint that he and Clash had been messing with into a can he had found on the street, not really paying attention as he listened to the conversation on the other side of the wall. He had discovered that his hearing had improved substantially now that he was a vampire, and was taking the opportuinity to eavsedro- er, happen to overhear a conversation. Yeah. That was it.
He had, however, not told Clash about this.
“I don’t like this at all,” Xela grumbled. “This sounds like you’re leaving us behind.”
“Not you, exactly. Most of the others,” Seven corrected.
“Still!”
“Most of the regular troops that we have- Emma, Cap, and them- would just get slaughtered against other cyborgs. We’ve seen that in IAL and SOV. This way there’s fewer casualties.”
“They won’t like that.”
“They’ll survive.”
“You’re just going to go on ahead with the rest of the cyborgs and hope they can’t keep up to stop you? Is that really your plan?”
“Yes. They won’t be able to keep up. Anyone that can is in the advance force already.”
Xela huffed and likely crossed her arms. “Tanadin won’t like this. She won’t let you do it.”
“Tanadin won’t know until we’ve taken ASQ.”
“You won’t tell her?”
“She’ll stop me. Don’t tell her.”
“But…”
“This will keep more people from dying.”
Xela sighed. “Okay, okay. Fine. I won’t tell her. I don’t like it, though. I don’t like it at all.”
“Good. Now, you’ll be in the main body tagging along behind. Once you’re closer, though, can you use your vampiric speed to run ahead and assist anywhere your skills would be valuable, specifically with taking the control center? That way you’ll remain out of the fighting.”
“I’d be going after my laptop, first and foremost. It’s my best tool for hacking and anything else computer-related. And also, no. Unless we leave here right after sunset and reach the main body of ASQ by sunrise- walking, remember, at normal human speed, and therefore highly unlikely if not entirely impossible- then I’ll burn. I’m a vampire, remember?”
“Do you burn under your clothes?”
“Not quickly, no. Why?”
“If all that is required to keep you safe from the sun is a physical barrier, you could find something to cover yourself with to keep the sun off.”
Scott blinked and looked down at the paint he was holding, an idea forming in his mind. He picked up the paint can and raced to the door, Clash trailing along behind asking what was going on. He practically kicked down the door when he reached it and held up the paint can.
“Would this work?”
“How did you hear our conversation?” Seven demanded. “You weren’t near the- oh. Xela, why didn’t you tell anyone you turned him into a vampire?”
“Because he’s a fledgling and you’d try to make him do things that vampires can’t do until they’ve been one for years! And Scott, don’t fucking eavesdrop!”
Scott shrugged. “I overheard your conversation. Would paint work?”
Xela stared at him for a moment before putting her face in her hands. “Why didn’t I think of that years ago?”
“It could work. That appears to be for use on metal, though, and not on skin, so you might want to find something designed to go on human skin. Where did you get that, anyway?” Seven asked.
“I borrowed it from Kyir.”
“Borrowed?” Xela questioned, looking up at him. “Or stole?”
“Borrowed without asking.”
“Scott!” Clash protested.
Seven looked between everyone in the room and addressed Scott directly. “Since you overheard the conversation, do you think you’d be able to keep up with and fight in the advance group?”
“Probably,” Scott said, even as Xela barked out a harsh “No!”
“He’s too young,” Xela elaborated. “He hasn’t even grown his fangs yet! You can’t put him on the front lines!”
Seven nodded slowly. “I’ll listen to your mentor. She has more experience than you do and is fairly reasonable.”
Scott shrugged. “Okay, but, where are we going to find paint that we can use on our skin?”
“Have you asked Kyir?” Xela asked sarcastically.
“No. Maybe I should.”
“I’ll leave that up to you. I need to update Nine on the situation.” Seven left the room without another word, stepping easily past both Scott and Clash.
“What is going on?” Clash asked, looking wildly between Xela and Scott.
They exchanged glances.
"Sit down, Clash. You're not going to like this."
no subject
Date: 2016-07-09 01:10 am (UTC)where???
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Date: 2016-07-09 02:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-07-09 02:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-07-09 03:56 pm (UTC)“How did you manage to do this to yourself?”
Scott shrugged. “I went out in the sun.”
“I’ve never seen sunburns this bad! How-”
“Have you looked at his eyes recently, Scara?” Xela asked.
“What? Why would I- what the hell.”
“Vampirism does weird things to people’s eyes,” Xela told her. “Would you be so kind as to heal him?”
Yup exactly how I would have reacted XD
WTF Scott? You are a numpty :P
Scott blinked and looked down at the paint he was holding, an idea forming in his mind. He picked up the paint can and raced to the door, Clash trailing along behind asking what was going on. He practically kicked down the door when he reached it and held up the paint can.
“Would this work?”
“How did you hear our conversation?” Seven demanded. “You weren’t near the- oh. Xela, why didn’t you tell anyone you turned him into a vampire?”
“Because he’s a fledgling and you’d try to make him do things that vampires can’t do until they’ve been one for years! And Scott, don’t fucking eavesdrop!”
For a minute I imagined Scott running in and just dumping paint on Xela and saying "There you go that'll work!" XD
Also Scott, RUDE! No eavesdropping. Another thing....you probably don't want to "accidentally overhear things" if Geek and Vel'kex are alone in a room together....
Seven left the room without another word, stepping easily past both Scott and Clash.
“What is going on?” Clash asked, looking wildly between Xela and Scott.
They exchanged glances.
"Sit down, Clash. You're not going to like this."
This just makes me smile, Clash has run after Scott after a grin appeared on his face and then is just standing in the background like "What the hell is everyone talking about?" XD
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Date: 2016-07-09 03:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-07-09 11:11 pm (UTC)-Observing Anon
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Date: 2016-07-09 11:20 pm (UTC)-Observing Anon
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Date: 2016-07-12 05:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-07-12 06:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-07-16 01:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-07-16 03:37 am (UTC)You come out of there I'm gonna dump a can of paint over you!
XP
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Date: 2016-07-16 04:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-07-16 05:52 pm (UTC)