1. Down the road
Summary: A missing scene from Part I of Tin Man, between DG and Glitch, right after escaping the cage.
A/N: I decided to turn it into a multi-chaptered series of one-shots of missing scenes, rather than stand alone stories.
"Come on, we got to get away from here." Glitch said.
"Can you show me the way to Central City? I need to catch up with my parents." DG said, running beside him.
"Yeah. I'll even take you there." he smiled.
He led them to a path, DG carefully walking behind him once they were sure the Longcoats weren't following them.
"So...where is Central City?" DG asked.
"We need to find the old brick road and from there, you only have to follow it. You can't miss Central City, trust me." Glitch smiled brightly.
They walked down a path that went downhill and then Glitch turned right. DG watched him watch the trees and the path with an excited interest, as if he was on an adventure. Suddenly, he tripped on a stump and almost fell down on his face.
"Glitch!" DG called out in alarm as she reached out to catch him. "Are you ok?" she asked once he was standing straight again.
"Yes." he smiled. "Thank you. Have we met?" he asked happily. "You look familiar."
"It's me, DG, remember?" she frowned.
"Oh, yes! Sorry. It happens. Since I lost my brain I forget sometimes. I forget sometimes. I forget sometimes. I forget - "
"You're glitching." she smiled.
"Ah. Sorry." he smiled sheepishly.
DG wrapped her arm around his. Glitch looked surprised by that.
"Come on. Let's continue on our way to the City, yeah?" she smiled at the man on her right. "And like this," she patted his arm, "I'll make sure you don't trip again."
"Thank you, DG." he said seriously.
"You're welcome, Glitch." she smiled softly back.
"Now, let us continue on the quest of the old brick road and reuniting you with your parents. " he said. "It's like an adventure." he beamed. "I can't remember the last adventure I had. If I had one." he amended.
"Well, every adventure is new and it starts very easily." DG said.
"Yes? How?" Glitch asked, all enthusiasm.
"By taking a step forward." DG smiled.
They took a step.
A few moments pass in silence, as they push on, and then DG notices Glitch scratching the back of his head, somewhat uncomfortable.
"Does it itch a lot?" she asked softly.
Glitch hummed.
"What itches?" he asked.
DG opened her mouth, stuck on how to ask.
"Your, um...zipper."
"Oh!" his eyes widened.
"Sorry, I..." she started apologising.
"No one ever akesd me before." he said with a smile. "Not much. It's a little uncomfortable sometimes. I still haven't found a way to relieve the itch without upseting it." he said.
DG raised her free hand.
"Can I?" she asked.
"Ah...That's new, too." he said quietly, but bent his head towards her.
DG's hand lands gently on it and lightly strokes by the sides of the zipper, getting a relieved sigh out of the man beside her. She smiled.
"Better?" she asks.
"Yes, thank you!" he grins up at her, his hand going back on his head, mirroring now what she had done.
Looping her arm around his, she led the down the path.
At a crossroad she stopped.
"Glitch? Which way now?"
"To where?" he wondered.
"Central City. So I can find my parents." she said.
"Oh, right. Yes. I said I'd take you there, didn't I?" he smiled. "This way." he turned right.
DG followed, holding on to his arm tightly.
She could tell it's been some time since they escaped their bird cage and those guys in the coats, and even not being in O.Z. for too long, there was something familiar about those particular trees.
A glance at her companion tells her he hasn't noticed and she remembers what he told her about Azkadelia taking his brain.
As they start walking down the same slope, she asks, to make sure, though she had the feeling she knows what happened.
"Are you sure you know the way to Central City?"