Disclaimer: I don't own Final Space. Nope, nope.
Authoress' Note: So... The Dead Speaks... uh... this episode had me YELLING. Literally, I spent four minutes after the episode jumping around my room, raving like a lunatic that I'm sure my husband didn't understand half of what I said, and yelling like a banshee because I was just so emotionally wrung out from everything in this episode. Combining the episode with the descriptions for the last two episodes and just knowing the season is going to end on a cliffhanger with no confirmation yet if we're going to get a Season 4... yeah, uh... I need some writing therapy. And maybe you need some reading therapy. So here we go together!
A Promise Made
Avocato cursed as he saw the starts of the glowing orange veins of Final Space Poisoning crawling up his arms, the color blinding compared to his blue-green fur. "Damn it," he hissed, quickly covering it up with his armored brace, paw clenching into a tight fist.
It was starting. He knew that it would the longer they remained in Final Space. But to see it, to know it was there... time was running out. It wouldn't be long before it would begin to overtake his body, reaching its way into his mind, ready to torture him until it finally took mercy enough to kill him. A fate worse than being taken over by Invictus, he was certain, but he sure as hell didn't want to confirm that.
His entire body began to shake as the anger rose. They shouldn't have been here this long. They shouldn't have been here at all. Final Space isn't a place for him, for any of them. It's a place of torture, of death. He was familiar with death, and it wasn't something he wanted to experience again. Not for a long, long time.
But what made the anger grow stronger was knowing that he couldn't be alone. Gary, Little Cato, Ash, Sheryl... they all had to have it as well. They were all in the same, cruel boat as he was, and that fact made him nearly send his fist into the wall. They shouldn't have stayed so long that this became a factor. They shouldn't have ever been here.
He growled as he lessened his grip, arms falling down into his lap, defeat and despair coming through the anger. They shouldn't have ever came here, but they did. They did, and at every step they took trying to get out, it had led them deeper into its dangerous void. Fox's death, Ash's transformation, the Lord Commander's ever-disgusting grip, reliving the secrets of his past... he gazed down at the bruises on his knuckles that remained from his fight with Gary. This place has even brought him to blows with his best friend. He never, ever wanted to fight Gary like that. Not ever. Not to someone he owes so much to. Not only his life, but also that of his son. No... their son. Every single thing that had been built up was shattering like glass, and it was taking everything in the warrior not to break.
The sound of a harsh knock on his bedroom door broke Avocato from his ambivalent reverie, and he snapped to attention almost too quickly than what was needed. The tension was more than apparent on his shoulders and face. "Come in," he replied gruffly, knowing that his voice was not at all even and calm; he was really in no mood for a visitor, but he knew he couldn't just lock himself entirely away.
He visibly relaxed a fraction once the door opened and Gary was standing there. "Hey," he greeted with a tired smile, and Gary greeted in kind.
But quickly the mood became somber and frightful as the human turned his gaze down at the floor, metal hand grasping at the cuff of his jacket on his fleshy appendage. "Can... can we talk?" he asked in a half-whisper, only darting his eyes up long enough in hopes of seeing an affirmative nod.
"Of course."
Gary smiled again, stepping inside slowly, almost as though he was afraid the floor would collapse under his feet, the door closing too quickly to seal them off from the rest of the ship. The tension returned as he stepped closer, stopping within a few inches, still holding tight to the fabric. He wanted to ask if his friend was okay, but he knew better. The way Gary clutched his arm told him everything. Yet, he wanted to see it, the proof.
And Gary knew this, seeing it all in one glance. Without verbal provocation, he sighed and lifted the sleeve, revealing those evil flames marring his pale skin. Avocato seethed through clenched fangs, and the anger came forth again.
"... Is everyone else showing?"
Gary nodded, "Yeah... I saw it on Mom and Little Cato. Only the starting stages. I'm not sure about Ash, but..."
He pulled the sleeve back down, letting go of his arm and letting them both fall to his sides. The Ventrexian sighed, grabbing at the band that covered his own marks, and raising it up briefly. Gary didn't need to see it to know, but it was further proof of their descent. Quickly it was covered, trying to hide the shame of their extended stay in this hell, and the two were left struggling to figure out what next to do. What next to say.
But Avocato really had nothing else he could say. He was furious. Although furious didn't cover what he really felt. He wasn't even sure what words would even describe the turmoil that was filling every fiber of his being. But whatever those words were... he didn't want to take whatever it was out on Gary.
"I haven't told Quinn."
That struck him oddly. "Why? She should know."
Gary shrugged his shoulders, and if Avocato could grind his fangs further, he would. "This isn't a secret you should keep from her."
He knew all about keeping secrets. Gary knew this too. But still, he shrugged. "I don't want to burden her with it. We're leaving soon. It'll go away once we leave."
There was no confidence in that last sentence. Hope, yes. Gary was always hopeful. But there was not confidence. He knew – they both knew – that there was no guarantees of what could happen with the poison once they leave. But oh, how they hoped.
Avocato sighed again, sitting back down on the edge of the bed. He was in no position to lecture his friend, nor did he want to waste time doing so. They had already fought enough. A glance at the fleshy hand and seeing bruises on the knuckles was reminder enough. "This is hell," was all he could manage to grumble.
"Yeah... yeah, it is," Gary agreed.
The Ventrexian hung his head, bent arms on his knees, again feeling that crushing despair. Gary sat beside him wordlessly, leaning back with his hands pressed against the rough mattress. Their eyes scanned the floor and ceiling, the low hum of the ship being the only break in the silence.
"... I'm scared, Gary."
The human didn't flinch. He was scared too. He put up a good front, to be sure, but he was truly terrified.
"All I wanted... I wanted to save my son. I wanted to get him out of the Lord Commander's hands. I wanted to give him a life outside of those prison walls. I know I could never give him a normal life, not in the slightest, but a life with no bars, no weights... even if we had to spend our entire lives on the run, it'd be much better than the hell we were in."
Paws clenched, teeth as well, harsh breaths coming through barred fangs. "But we're back within his range. Within Invictus' range. And now this... what kind of life is this? For him? For you? For me? For all of us?"
He brought a paw up to his head, running it through his fur in a frustrated gesture, pushing his ears back as he lowly growled. "And what if this plan fails? If we're stuck here for longer? It won't be much longer before it spreads. Before we become like Quinn."
He was starting to rave, and Gary listened. He couldn't say a word against it. He had the same fears. To see the marks and knowing what was to come the longer they remained... it scared him too, not wanting to see his loved ones go through such torment. But he couldn't give in to that fear for the same reason.
Gary tried to smile. A forced and faked grin. "This life sucks."
That optimistic hope of his shined in his eyes. He fell towards Avocato, blonde locks tickling and blending with the other's fur as his head leaned against it. "But we will make it a better life once we get out of here. We'll get out of here. I promise."
Metal hand rose up from its place on the bed and now onto his friend's paw that laid upon bent knee. Avocato didn't flinch at the contact. Eyes darted up from the floor to meet his partner's own, and seeing that hypocritical expression. Gary wasn't sure of his own words, the promise ringing almost hollow, but still he said them. And the Ventrexian scoffed, reflecting his own truth and lies in return.
Appendages intertwined loosely, meaningfully. An expression more powerful than their usual clasp. Avocato could feel an elevation in his heartbeat in relation to the foreign action, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he squeezed those entwined fingers, holding onto them like they were his only means to stay grounded. Gary was one of those means, after all. Gary and Little Cato. His rocks. His home.
"Yeah... yeah, we will." His words echoed the hallowed promise.
The door opened up again, and their attention turned towards it, fingers quickly and regretfully unwinding from one another, Gary snapping himself away roughly and sitting more upright. In the doorway stood Little Cato, rubbing and looking down at his cursed arm, the boy momentarily jolting when he noticed both of his dads in the same room. "Oh... Hey, Dad, Gary! Did... I interrupt anything?" he was hesitant, somehow nervous seeing the two of them sitting together in the way they were.
"Not at all. We were just talking," Avocato replied with a fond smile, ignoring the turning feeling in his stomach, "Are you feeling alright?"
The kid nodded, realizing he had been holding his arm for too long. Gary knew of the rising veins, but he hadn't told Avocato. But the look on the older Ventrexian's face told him that he knew. They both knew. "Yeah. It's not so bad. Right now, at least."
"Good. Let's hope it stays that way."
Little Cato laughed softly, agreeing with that. The pain had been annoying, but tolerable. But seeing and hearing what Quinn had gone through told him that it wouldn't stay that way. The longer it could be postponed, the better, however. The laughter died, but the levity remained, and both adults felt it faintly fall upon their forms.
"I'm going to go to the bridge. Thanks for making some time for me, buddy," Gary replied after a few moments of calm, patting Avocato's shoulder in a thankful gesture.
"Anytime, baby," the warrior replied with his usual grin, and the captain grinned in tandem.
But before Gary could stand, Little Cato called out a quiet "wait", keeping him pinned to the edge of the bed. A blonde brow raised in curiosity, and the kid felt rather sheepish all of a sudden, awkwardly tapping one foot against the steel floor.
"Can you stay here for a bit? Can we... can we talk too? It doesn't have to be about this. Like... can you tell me about that one movie you like? The one with the guy trying to get his revenge on the guy who killed his dad?"
Gary's face lit up for a moment, loving being able to talk about his favorite films and things whenever the time came up. "Sure thing. I'll stay," he replied, turning his attention towards Avocato, "... as long as you want me to."
It was a statement, but it rung Avocato's ears like a question. And he scoffed at such a silly thing. "Stay as long as you would like."
Gary smiled as he kicked off his boots, not wanting to be rude by placing the dirty coverings onto the sheets, pushing himself back until his back met the wall. Avocato moved a few inches to the other side, his back up against another wall and arms crossing over his chest, allowing Little Cato to jump onto the bed between them, nestling himself comfortably between his two dads. Together, they listened as Gary excitedly started to describe the movie, the worries of the poisoning and what was to come fading to the recesses of their minds, taking a break from torturing them with thoughts of past mistakes and terrifying pain. A brief moment of light in an ocean of darkness, a treasure in a sea of troubles.
Avocato wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep, but waking up made him realize that he had at some point. Feeling that he wasn't alone in his bed told him that Gary and Little Cato had done so as well, and sure enough, through groggy eyes he saw the two still unconscious to the world. And the sight of them being there made his lips curl in the faintest of smiles.
Gary had shifted at some point, now being more vertical on the bed than horizontal, but still leaned up against the back wall, with Little Cato cuddled up in his lap, head against Gary's stomach and curled into a half-ball with Gary's metal arm lazily strewn around his upper torso. Occasionally, a quiet snore would escape Gary's agape mouth, although overall they were still and quiet, taking advantage of the fragile peace.
Avocato's soft gaze lingered on them for a few moments longer before he looked down at where the poisoning burned at his arm, gently placing his opposing paw upon the armor that covered the marks from view. He growled lowly, wanting to make sure not to awaken his sleeping companions, feeling a rush of weak pain radiate around his wrist for a few seconds before fading away, sighing once it subsided.
Gaze returned to them before firmly on Gary, the echos of his flimsy promise playing like a record in his head. It'll go away... they'll get out of here... they'll make this life better for all of them... Avocato was not one to put stock into wishes and hopes, but oh how he wanted to. He wanted so much to make those words become reality. Escaping Final Space for good, the poison erased, a life where Little Cato could be free... a life where they could be free.
He moved to sit up alongside the pair, bringing one paw up to brush through Little Cato's mohawk. The young Ventrexian mewled at the touch, but didn't awaken, and Avocato was glad that Gary was also asleep and didn't hear the little noise. Definitely didn't want to rehash the "we're not cats" argument for the umpteenth time, as much as the argument actually didn't bother him as much nowadays.
He pulled his arm back, letting it fall back to his side, briefly brushing up against Gary's fleshy hand and he momentarily stilled. Another burning feeling overcame his body, but it wasn't from the marks. Recalling cold metal intertwined and tangling itself within his warm fur, the elevated heartbeat... yes, he was glad that Gary was asleep, because the faint blush that graced Avocato's cheeks would be primed for teasing.
Yet, he smiled despite his private embarrassment. He brought Gary's hand into his own, intertwining appendages again but this time it was warmth against warmth. The human seemed to groan as if aware of the new touch, and weakly adjusted to better accommodate the gentle grip, but eyes did not open. His head shifted, going from leaning up towards the wall and now towards his companion, and Avocato leaned upon him, once again mingling blonde and blue-green in a beautiful mix.
His eyes drifted closed again, lulled by the slumbering sounds of his loved ones and the warmth of their closeness to his own, the low hum of the ship a dull sound in comparison. Gary's words still echoed in his head, and his fingers squeezed Gary's hand softly, sweetly.
He was going to make sure they keep their promise, to make it real, no matter what it takes. He had to. For Little Cato. For Gary. For himself. For them.
- end -
