This idea has been floating in my head. I don't own Defiance but I do own my OCs.
Enjoy!
The last thing Tommy expected while on a scavenge of a nearby arkfall…was the blast that sent him flying and the loud ringing that seemed to rattle around inside his head. Somehow, for whatever reason, he found that he thought if he just blinked harder…the ringing would stop.
The time his eyes stayed closed must have been longer than he thought because the next time he opened his eyes someone was standing over him.
The voice sounded muddled under the ringing, almost like he was under water, he squinted as the figure stooped down to crouch beside him. It was a kid…a boy…a Castithan. The boy spoke again and Tommy fought to try and understand him.
"…you…doing…can't…hear…what…" the words came and went. He caught one and then the rest seemed to drown his ears in water again before he caught another. He shook his head, trying to get out that he couldn't understand.
The boy must have gotten the idea because he stood up and waved somewhere out of Tommy's line of sight.
He blinked again, and again it must've lasted longer than he thought, because the boy was gone and a dark figure much taller than him stood in his place. Next thing he's aware of is hands grabbing at his jacket and hauling him up. The figure is hooded and doesn't seem to have patience for this.
Tommy glances back at the fire taking over the alien vessel. "I didn't…my job…" he mumbled before the ringing in his head finally became to much and he blacked out.
The next time he opens his eyes the ringing is gone and he's staring up at the trees and sky. He can feel a stick and some rocks in his back and he notices needles from the trees under his fingers. He wonders if maybe he was dreaming.
"You're awake."
Tommy jumps at the voice, shooting up and going for his waistband.
"We took your gun. Sorry."
He stares at the boy. He is definitely a Castithan…but somehow he doesn't seem pale enough or have the right eye color. His hair is platinum blonde and his eyes are a mix of the usual pale pink color of Casti eyes and a blue color. He holds a beaten up teddy bear to his side with one hand and the other is tucked into the pocket of a dark jacket he wears over a dark shirt with plain black pants and old sneakers. He had to be at least fourteen…maybe younger, which made the fact that he was holding a stuffed animal a bit funny.
"Who are you?" Tommy asks carefully. If his job has taught him anything, it's asking the right questions first, instead of the other ones that are burning to be spoken in the back of his mind.
The boy shrugs. "Adam Starsen, you can call be Starsen or Adam I guess." He takes a hand out of his jacket and points across his body. "That is Teddy. He helped get you here." Tommy turned to see the man that pulled him along. Only when the man turned…it wasn't a man…it was a cyborg…or was it a robot or an android. Tommy had no idea but the guy was clearly not of human or alien kind let alone organic.
The droid had round eyes that appeared like goggle lenses, they were a deep green at the moment, no mouth, wore a pullover sweater that was dark gray and khaki cargo pants with beaten old combat boots. His head was shaped like a man's with a strong jaw and slightly large chin. The top of his head was bald with no shine like Tommy would expect of something like this.
Droids hadn't been explored by humans all that well before the aliens came, and ones like this were a long shot for North America yet, at least that's what Tommy read in history books.
"Teddy…?"
"Yes?" The voice was grainy and somewhat irritated.
"Unusual name for…whatever you are."
Teddy almost seemed to glare at him. "I am a caretaker for…Starsen." He turned to the boy. "Are we taking him back to his people?"
David nodded. "We have to, they'll be missing him."
Tommy looked between them. "The ark…what happened to it? Why'd it explode like that?"
"It crashed." Teddy stated, still clearly irritated.
"I meant," Tommy glared back at the caretaker. "Was it scavenged before I got there?"
"Yes." Starsen answered for the droid. "We got most of what was worthwhile. You can have some for where you live if you want. That is why you were so close isn't it?"
Tommy nods. "I was doing it cause the others were to busy." He explains. "Where are we?"
"Near your town…or city." Starsen pulls his bear closer. "We can take you back now."
"I'd appreciate it."
Teddy grunted as he turned away from them.
Starsen appeared to be much kinder than his caretaker, and very smart. Tommy eyed him carefully as they walked, Defiance was within view now. The boy's head came just under Tommy's own chin and Teddy's chest.
The caretaker had pulled his hood back up and ducked his head, walking carefully behind his ward.
"You'll like it here, for the most part," Tommy mumbled the last part as he remembered Datak Tarr and his goons. "We've got a great mayor and Lawkeeper."
Starsen hummed. "That's nice. I'm not sure we could stay though."
"Why not? You've gotta be tired of the woods and Bad Lands." He himself had been walking with a limp and he could hardly stand it. They couldn't enjoy the wild as a place to live.
The boy gave Tommy an appeasing smile, one Tommy swore he'd seen before. "Teddy says it's better for me to stay out of the way."
"Why?"
"Dangerous." He heard the grunt behind them.
"How come?" Tommy glanced back. Again it seemed like he was being glared at by the round eyes. Maybe it was the way the lights in the sockets dimmed.
"You ask to many questions." Teddy hushed.
"My job."
"Lovely." He could detect the sarcasm in the grainy voice. "But we're not answering anything more just yet."
Starsen chuckled, shaking his head. Tommy wondered how he could deal with someone that seemed to pessimistic. They stepped into the town and received a few odd stares. The strangers ignored them. The deputy stopped outside of a building. "I'll introduce you to the mayor, you'd meet her one way or the other anyhow."
"Why?" Teddy questioned, head still dipped low.
Tommy smirked. "Now who's asking to many questions?"
"I asked one." Teddy argued softly. The man ignored him and lead the way into the building.
Nolan eyed Datak's wife, Stahma, with a sudden realization. Datak had the appearance of the power in the couple but it suddenly struck him that he had let her slip under his radar and he understood that was exactly what she wanted.
"I've had my eye on the wrong snake." He spoke up. She turned piercing pink eyes on him. "You're the dangerous one."
He noted her lips curve up just the slightest. "You're sweet." She breathed. He'd stroked her ego. Nolan saw the pride in her eyes as she turned her gaze back to him before they slid to a spot just behind him. He turned to see his deputy limping up the stairs.
"The hell happened to you?"
"Long story." Tommy sighed. "But I did get some help." He handed Nolan a bag and then nodded over his shoulder.
"Who are these two?"
Tommy motioned to them as they stepped onto the landing. "Adam Starsen and…" he shrugged. "Teddy."
Nolan let an eyebrow arch. "Teddy what?"
"Just Teddy." The hooded man answered.
The Lawkeeper grunted softly, eyeing the man, he noted the strange voice and the way he kept his hands in his pockets and his head down. This 'Teddy' had something to hide and that made his stomach clench with worry. He turned his stare to the boy.
"Adam Starsen huh?" The boy nodded. "Not a typical Castithan name."
"Only half sir." Starsen smiled.
Nolan nodded. He took in the ragged appearance of their clothes and the boy's face that had small smudges of dirt that looked like they'd been attempted to be rubbed away. There was dirt caked under his nails and a slight crust of mud on his knuckles. They'd been outside for a while.
"Well thank you for helping my deputy today." He nodded with a stiff smile. "Our mayor is in a meeting but I'm sure she'll be happy to see you. Have a seat." He shifted to his left as an offering for them to pass.
"We can't stay." Teddy grumbled.
Nolan continued to smile. "Have a seat." He repeated, his tone left no room for an argument.
Starsen tugged at the sleeve of his caretaker and offered a placating smile to Nolan. He walked over to the Castithan woman and stood a bit away from her. She smiled sweetly at him and nodded to the seat beside her, seemingly unbothered by his state of dress. He sat silently and Stahma continued her knitting project.
Teddy stood off to the side in a corner.
Nolan spoke softly to Tommy near the stairs, the Lawkeeper casting a glance every now and then at the two sitting quietly. Starsen seemed content to quietly sit and watch the Castithan woman. He didn't make any noises of discomfort, annoyance, or any signs of a normal teenager being bored. Whenever the woman spared him a look he smiled, which was returned.
Eventually the doors to the Mayor's office opened and the council members stepped out, the mayor the last of them, closing the doors behind her.
Nolan took a deep breath as Rafe and Datak lingered behind the other dispersing members. "Amanda," he nodded. "We wanted you to meet some newcomers to town."
"Newcomers?" Datak had been eyeing the boy sitting beside his wife with a look of restrained disgust. Nolan ignored him.
"This is Adam Starsen and his caretaker…Teddy." Nolan motioned between the two.
The boy stood with a smile. "Hello." Amanda eyed him with a smile. "Hi, welcome to Defiance…how exactly did you…come across us?" She took in his clothes and made a note that he couldn't know to many landmarks or maps, and then she refocused on his name.
"Adam Starsen?" She swallowed, he nodded with a smile. She hummed. "Well, nice to meet you." She extended a hand. He seemed surprised at the offer, he held up a hand and looked at it carefully before looking back to the mayor. "My hand is dirty." He observed.
Amanda smiled and took his hand shaking it gently. His head tilted to the side in question before making a face of pleased understanding, she felt his fingers tighten and return the gesture. They dropped each others hands and she turned her attention to the man in the corner who Rafe had been bluntly staring at.
"Teddy, was it?"
He grunted.
"Teddy." Starsen gave him a strange kind of glare.
"Yes, I am."
Amanda sent a quick glance at Nolan before turning back to him. "I see, well nice to meet you both, I'd still like to know how you got here."
"We found your deputy." Teddy explained. "He was injured and we helped him, he pointed us in this direction."
Rafe's natural frown deepened as he continued to watch the stranger. "Funny accent you go there…Teddy. Where you from?"
"Irrelevant." Teddy answered shortly.
"Says you, I like to know who comes in this town so we don't have people shooting up the place or trying to get into my mines."
Nolan cut in. "I'll worry about him shooting the place up."
Teddy stood silent for a long moment, head still down, he then held his hand out in front of him with the palm facing up. Starsen moved across the gap and took the offered hand and let his caretaker move him back into the corner behind him. "My only concern is getting him out of sight."
"You running from E-Rep or something?"
"…No."
Rafe pulled his gun. "Now I don't want to have to do anything like this in front of a kid…but I got a sneaking suspicion you're exactly what I think you are…and those aren't welcome here." He snapped.
Tommy looked between the miner and his boss, uncertain what had just happened. Nolan un-holstered his gun but kept it at the ground while Datak had taken his wife's arm and pulled her back. Amanda stood her ground and watched on. "What exactly do we think he is?" Tommy whispered.
"E.V.A." Rafe growled. "Your voice gives you away and if you aren't you better take that hood off and prove it."
To get a clear idea on what Teddy looks like just look for the movie preview Prototype, there are a few differences in my own mind but the basic idea is on that. E.V.A was from a cross between the Borg and Kyle XY. Hope you enjoy where I'm going with this. To figure out what Teddy sounds like I pulled that idea from Teddy from A.I.
Vakitso-Survivor