SVX: I know none of you reviewed my story about Space's origin but that's okay. This is a continuation of that story only with a lot more angst for the whole team! You guys might find some of this familiar to a certain historical event! It was my inspiration for this story! Hehe anyway ever notice that you never see Nosedive with a bare right wrist. On Puckworld he wore those cuff things and on Earth he always wears his communicator anyway this is my explanation of that! Okay enjoy!
Tattoos
Space walked around her new room a serious expression of concentration on her face. She placed a delicate hand under her beak and rubbed it as she thought. "No, no move it over to that wall it might look better."
"Oh for star's sake Space make up your damn mind," Nosedive's voice was coated with a playful frustration while he and Duke struggled with Space's new bed. Space smiled and signaled for them to put the bed down and she walked over and sat on the comfortable piece furniture.
"This is just fine right here, thank you for helping me out."
"Heh, no problem sweetheart I knew this storage room would work out just fine once we cozied it up," Duke chuckled as he headed out the door. Nosedive flopped on Space's bed with an exhausted, and over exaggerated, sigh while placing his right arm over his eyes. He felt a hand land on his com. and gingerly tug at it. With a start he moved his arm away and sat up straight looking at Space with embarrassment.
"You keep it covered up too, huh?"
"I don't wanna talk about it Space…come on the others are in the rec. room let's go see what is on TV." Space sighed then nodded and followed her friend out the door and down the hall.
~~*~~*~~*~~
Wildwing watched as his brother and there newest addition entered the room side by side, laughing about something or other. He smiled and then returned his attention back to the chessboard in front of him. With a smile he moved his queen across the board and snatched up the rook that had previously held that square. "Check mate." Mallory looked at the board with a frustrated sigh and extended her hand towards the team captain.
"Good game Wildwing," she said with a smile before standing and heading for the kitchen. Wildwing smiled and stood himself turning his gaze back at the two teenagers on the couch. Space had been with them nearly a week and had earned the trust of most of the team, Mallory as always was still being cautious. He watched with his brow furrowed as both teens seemed to nervously play with the straps around their right wrists but soon shook it off and followed Mallory into the kitchen.
~~*~~*~~*~~
Space couldn't help but play with her right leather wristband as she watched Bernie the Bear walk his pet dog. She glanced over at Nosedive's right wrist and frowned slightly. She looked around the room and when she was satisfied that it was empty she turned to her friend and began to ask the question that had been on her mind. "You haven't shown the others your wrist have you?" He looked at her out of the corner of his eyes before returning his gaze to the television, ignoring her question. "Nosedive answer me!" He sighed and his shoulders slumped before turning his face to hers.
"I don't see why they need to know."
"Not even your brother?"
"It isn't that big of a deal Space let's just drop it okay!" Space furrowed her brow and narrowed her light blue eyes.
"Obviously it is Nosedive or you wouldn't be that upset, you wouldn't cover it up like I do, you wouldn't try to pretend it isn't there when you and I both know it is!" She folded her arms in front of her chest and waited for his reaction. What she got was silence and soon an empty seat next to her as he stood and left the room and headed for the kitchen. She sighed and situated herself back into her seat and pouted as she watched her cartoons.
~~*~~*~~*~~
Nosedive felt his fists clench as he entered the kitchen and opened the fridge grabbing out a bottle of SoBe. He didn't want to think about what Space was trying to bring up, it was history and he didn't want to relive it. He subconsciously played with his communicator before he sat at the kitchen table next to his brother.
"A penny for your thoughts baby bro?" Nosedive looked at Wildwing and didn't answer but just took a long swig of his drink. His older brother shifted in his seat and turned to stare at his little brother, who shifted nervously under his gaze. "Dive?"
"It's nothing okay," snapped Nosedive before taking another sip of his drink. Wildwing smiled slightly and folded his arms in front of him.
"What did she say to get you so riled up, huh?"
"It's nothing we just had an argument, we had them all the team back on Puckworld…" his voice trailed off and his features held a distant look as if he was far away. Wildwing patted him on the back and chuckled softly.
"You always had a knack at causing arguments."
"And what is that suppose to mean," said Nosedive his face twisted in mock anger.
"Nothing, I said nothing," laughed Wildwing as he ruffled Nosedive's hair and grabbed the paper on the table and began to read it. "Oh by the way Dive, don't ever hesitate to tell me when anything is bothering you okay?" Nosedive smiled and nodded standing from his seat and heading back towards the rec. room. As soon as he was sure Wildwing was out of view he let his smile fall and he walked with determination towards the young duck on the couch.
~~*~~*~~*~~
Space was shocked when Dive wrapped his hand around her arm and dragged her from her seat and down the hall. As they entered his room with a swish from the automatic doors she looked at him puzzled. "Look Dive if I got under your feathers I am sorry but you could be a little gentler." She rubbed her arm as she sat down on his bed looking at him.
"I hate that it's there, I hate knowing that it's sitting there on my arm. I don't want to be reminded of the past but it's always there mocking me. I have to cover it up so I can forget." Space stared at him with her jaw hanging towards the floor. She closed it after the shock wore off and she remembered how to speak.
"Hey Nosedive, that is exactly why I keep mine covered, do you think I want to remember that for a period of time all I was, was a number," she said as she slipped off her right wrist band and extended her arm her palm facing up. On her small pale wrist was a grouping of seven numbers tattooed in dark black ink. "For over a year all I was, was number 7465091." Nosedive stared at the black numbers before removing his com unit and extending his arm to her his palm facing the ceiling.
"1027989,"was all Dive could say as he stared at the too tattoos before them. They were permanent reminders of there times in the camps. They would never wash off and would always bee their forcing old memories to the surface. The feel of the saurian guard's clammy hands holding him down as he struggled to get free. The feel of the needle pressing into his skin bringing tears to his eyes. The feeling of his individuality being thrown away with the bloody rag used to clean his new identity. They both sat there in silence for a moment before Space finally spoke.
"Do you think any of the others have them as well?" Dive shrugged and placed his com unit back on covering the small, black numbers. Space followed in suit slipping her black leather cuff over the horrid numbers. "I would really like to know?"
"Do you think it would be wise to call attention to ours with such questions girly girl?" Space sighed and then stood a determined look on her face.
"I want to know!" Dive shrugged and opened his room door letting her exit before he too followed her form the room.
~~*~~*~~*~~
"Wildwing I need to ask you a personal question!" Wildwing gestured for Space to take a seat in the chair in between him and Duke a concerned look on his face.
"What is it Space?" She looked up at him her light blue eyes sparkled with curiosity and embarrassment. She took a deep breath and removed her right leather wrist cuff and held up her white wrist to his face.
"Do you have a tattoo like this?" Wildwing stared at the small black numbers on her wrist and looked at her puzzled.
"No, no I don't, why do you ask?" His question went ignored as she turned to Duke and showed him the same tattoo.
"How about you?"
"Sorry sweetheart, there is no ink on these feathers."
"Mallory?"
"Nope."
"Tanya?"
"Duh…sorry, I don't have uh… a tattoo."
"Grin?"
"My body has not been soiled by the ink of duck kind." Space placed her wrist on the table and stared at it haunted blue eyes. Mallory looked at her with an eyebrow raised suspiciously.
"What is this about?" Space looked up at the older female and sighed.
"When I was transferred from Paroxysm and moved to Travail, I was forced into a chair and given this tattoo for identification. I was a number, another number working in their crystal mines and machinery factories."
"Dive weren't you in Travail for a long period of time?" Nosedive stared at Wildwing who had a look of concern on his face. Nosedive ripped off his communicator and lowered his wrist so Wildwing could see his tattoo. Wildwing grabbed onto Dive's arm and stared at the black numbers imprinted on his brother's feathers. "Dive, why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I didn't even want to know that it was there, I wanted to forget it existed."
"Many soldiers and rebels that had escaped from labor camps had those tattoos, but the penal camps didn't issue them. I was never in any camp." Mallory looked at the others after her explanation before looking back at the tattoos.
"Duh…I was only in a penal camp for a week before being rescued by the rebels," said Tanya rubbing her arms.
"I was away from the main cities at the time of the invasion, I had never been confined to a camp," answered Grin in a soothing tone.
"Heh, penal camp for two months, the day of my transfer to a labor camp was when Canard sprung me," said Duke folding his arms in front of him.
"I was at the same penal camp for my entire imprisonment, that's where I finally found Dive when he was transferred," said Wildwing in a soft voice as he stared at his brother's arm.
"Well looks like me and Dive are the only one sporting these babies," came a bitter laugh from Space as she slipped her cuff back on. "Well at least now I know." Nosedive managed to wriggle from his brother's grip and slip his communicator back on his own wrist. As Space stood she felt a hand on her arm and she sat back down and turned looking straight at Duke.
"Hey, you are not a number. You are a young individual duck. You are Space Erring," he stared straight into her eyes as he spoke. "You are not a number," he turned his gaze towards Nosedive, "Neither of you are."
"Thank you Duke, that means more than you know," answered Space as a single tear slipped down her cheek. Nosedive smiled and all the ducks sat there in silence until they finally broke for dinner.