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]

[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?

[action]

[show_my_cannons]

[He takes a slow breath, and shakes his head.]

No. It... is nothing. Just confused.

Re: [action]

[daddydothis.livejournal.com]

[Lottie smiles, though it's a little strained]

Confused?

[action]

[show_my_cannons]

... I went home. I think.

[action]

[daddydothis.livejournal.com]

Home? But...y'nevah left y'bed.

[action]

[show_my_cannons]

I cannot explain it. But... I was there.

[action]

[daddydothis.livejournal.com]

[Lottie sits down, concerned.]

Y'sure? It wasn't jus'...a dream or somethin'?

[action]

[show_my_cannons]

You do not feel pain in dreams.

[He absently puts a hand to his chest, the motion instinctive more than anything.]

[action]

[daddydothis.livejournal.com]

[She frowns, glancing at his hand]

That don' make sense though. [She pauses then continues] Then again, ain' nothin' here that makes sense...

[action]

[show_my_cannons]

[When she looks, he forces it away, curing it into a fist by his side.]

No. Things rarely ever do.

[action]

[daddydothis.livejournal.com]

Ironhide...did somethin' happen?

[action]

[show_my_cannons]

... War happened.

[action]

[daddydothis.livejournal.com]

[Have an awkward hug from Lottie, Ironhide. She hates war. It took Tia's dad away, and all the other men and boys who died too soon.]

[action]

[show_my_cannons]

[He stiffens, looking over at her in confusion. What's she doing? Why is she...?]

[action]

[daddydothis.livejournal.com]

[Lottie pulls away, a little teary-eyed]

That was a hug, Ironhide.

[action]

[show_my_cannons]

... Your optics are leaking.

[Those are tears, big guy.]

[action]

[daddydothis.livejournal.com]

My what?

[She starts feeling her pockets for her handkerchief.]

[action]

[show_my_cannons]

Your... these.

[He gestures to his eyes.]

[action]

[daddydothis.livejournal.com]

Eyes, Ironhide. M'eyes.

[She finally manages to find her hanky (pink) and dabs at the tears]

It's called cryin'. Humans do that sometimes.

[action]

[show_my_cannons]

Why?

[She's fine, isn't she? Not damaged or anything...]

[action]

[daddydothis.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm cryin' 'cause even though you gotta go home, y'got stuck in a war, an' ain't nothin' good evah come from war. That jus' ain' right.

[action]

[show_my_cannons]

War is my function.

[Was his function. He seems to realize this abruptly, and lowers his head.]

Used to it. Not meant to do much else.

[action]

[daddydothis.livejournal.com]

I don' b'lieve that. Ain' a living thing in this world who's made jus' f'r war.

[action]

[show_my_cannons]

I am.

[He was built to be a soldier, anyway. Was.]