11 - Action for Azalea / Text

[show_my_cannons]

[He jerks awake. Immediately, his hand goes to his chest, to the back of his head, fingers scrambling over his human form.]

[Everything is whole. Everything intact. There's no rust, no gaping wounds from Sentinel's weapon. Even the scars remain. His body is breathing, it's moving. Its systems are functioning as well as can be expected. Even his hip and shoulder feel better.]

[That's not right.]

[He hadn't made it out of DC. He'd felt everything go dark, felt his systems crumble away while he tried to fight to stand up, to shoot, to act and not let the inevitable happen. They'd been betrayed -- he couldn't lie down and let it happen. He'd tried, he'd tried with every failing piece of his strength to stay online. But it hadn't been enough.]

[And now he's here. Alive.]

[It feels like he's been gone for years. And it was -- since the battle in Egypt, it had been three years... His eyes rest on the 'gear.]

[For a while, he just sits in silence, staring at it, while gradually realizing there are people here who may be concerned for him. His team... his friends... they're beyond his grasp now. That realization in particular feels like a physical blow, and he has to bow his head and breathe for a few minutes longer before he can pull himself back together. His allies. His leader. Everything he'd fought for, everything he'd tried so desperately to return to, was gone.]

[There is no more going back.]

[Finally... Ironhide picks up his 'gear, and taps out a brief, halting message.]


How long was I out?

Feels like... |

[He leaves the text unfinished, dropping the 'gear in favor of silence and brooding.]



((ooc: Potential spoilers for Dark of the Moon abound in the post and possibly in the comments.))

Comments

[action]

[daddydothis.livejournal.com]

Ironhide!

[Lottie, in full Center uniform, comes in as soon as she sees his message]

Y'okay! Thank th'Lord.

[action]

[show_my_cannons]

[He looks absolutely surprised to see her. And thus, she receives a long, confused stare before he remembers he should say something.]

I... am?

[action]

[daddydothis.livejournal.com]

[Lottie is totally unfazed and just a fluttering, flustered mess right now]

Yes! Y'went t'sleep a few days ago an' y'didn' wake up f'r nothin'. I even brought Cordon in here t'see if his pokin' could wake y'up. Nothin'. Cliff's been a right mess, y'know, an' some'a th'nurses were startin' t'worry.

[Lottie was already worrying[

[action]

[show_my_cannons]

I... days?

[It was three years, as far as he knew. She earns another long, absolutely confused stare, before he drops his gaze, rather suddenly.]

Stop worrying. Nothing wrong.

[action]

[daddydothis.livejournal.com]

Where I come from, sugah, people don' jus' fall asleep f'r days if somethin' ain't wrong. Y'hungry?

[Text]

[foolishwren]

_{[... Yeah, guess who didn't actually know Ironhide was out? She's been a little wrapped up with her own personal baggage lately...]}

Out?

Did the nurses give you tranquilizers or something to stop you from marching out of the Center?

_{[... Yep. No idea.]}

[Text]

[show_my_cannons]

No.

Went... something happened. Was back.

[Back home. Back with the others.]

[Text]

[foolishwren]

_{[... oh. Oh man.]}

You went home??

_{[Suddenly Heather's a whole lot more worried than she was a couple seconds ago.]}

you cant have been gone more than a week over here...

I didn't even know you were out

[Text]

[show_my_cannons]

It was three years.

[He doesn't elaborate. He's not really sure how to.]

[Text]

[isthedeadcat]

The last transmission I saw from you was 24 days ago... I can't help more than that, I'm really sorry.

I don't know what happened, but if you were unconscious or sent back, please take some time to rest.

[Text]

[show_my_cannons]

Twenty... no. That is not right. I was gone years--

'Sent back'?

[Text]

[isthedeadcat]

Sometimes Johto sends people back to their worlds...

They fall asleep here, for about a week or maybe a little more. However in their worlds, much more time may pass.

[Text]

[show_my_cannons]

. . . So this happens often.

[ action ]

[getthehorns]

[ Cliffjumper hasn't gone far. In fact, he hasn't strayed far from the Center since Ironhide fell unconscious. Now he comes jogging into the room- it's clear his ankle is better- Rascal at his heels. ]

Ironhide!

[ action ]

[show_my_cannons]

[Once again, Ironhide looks stunned to see him. It's been three years for him.]

[This time, though, he can't quite find the words.]

[ action ]

[getthehorns]

[ The look on Ironhide's face make Cliff stop in his tracks ]

What's wrong?

[ action ]

[show_my_cannons]

[He lifts his hands, rubbing at his face. The old scar is still there -- the one across his eye. Everything... is still there.]

Went... back. I think.

[text]

[biteisbigger.livejournal.com]

you're awake!

[ SO HAPPY. ]

[text]

[show_my_cannons]

Yeah. I am.

Was I out long?

[To his credit, he tries to act normal for the little kid.]

[text]

[biteisbigger.livejournal.com]

for awhile... are you okay?

[text]

[show_my_cannons]

Fine.

[That is a blatant lie.]

text;

[usedjunes.livejournal.com]

[oh she knows that look. it's the look of someone who just came back home. there's tension behind that message though, and despite the fact that she doesn't know him too well:]

Good morning. C:

text;

[show_my_cannons]

. . . is it morning?

text;

[usedjunes.livejournal.com]

Nope, but you just woke up, right? So, good morning!

text;

[show_my_cannons]

I... yeah. I did.

Was it... three years?