A/N: I told myself I'd get this up today, and I didn't disappoint! XD Yay for surprisingly long chapter! Even for me, because, well, I forgot just where I'd wanted to end this one, so it was longer than I had thought it would be. And because of the extra part added in, it's not filler! Or a cliffhanger! (That had been an option, so lucky you, nothing's hanging.) So, the first part is development, the second is some Tech-Rev friendship stuff, and the last part is where the actual plot is, so that's how this one breaks down.
In terms of news for the next chapter, I don't yet know where I want to cut it off. It'll either be just some TechxSive stuff that only looks like plot, or that stuff plus actual plot. However, it would then be ridiculously long, so I probably won't do that. Two weeks is the hope, but I'm super busy this month, so until November, anything goes.
ARGH! Somebody owes me, like, three bricks! Thanks to Luna246, Halloween Witch, Loonaticsover13, starskulls, Candlestic, and for their previous reviews, iwolf208 and Angelus Draco. You all seriously have no idea how much your kind words mean to me, and I love hearing them!
To say that the feeling in the room was tense would have been a gross understatement. Lexi was fidgety; Duck was silent; Slam wasn't hungry; Ace wasn't his usual infallible self, showing obvious distress at the whole situation. Even Tech was affected, possibly more so than everyone else, though Sive had caught him in time before he could set up permanent camp in the lab. They were on the other end of the room, Sive still trying to calm him down while the elder coyote anxiously paced about. Their disquiet was warranted in that situation.
When Rev had first told them what his parents had wanted a few days prior, everyone had been floored. Some were shocked, some were confused, and some cried in outrage, but Rev himself was still in too much shock to do much other than explain what their problem was. His parents apparently had felt so vehemently about it, Ace thought it best to bring Zadavia in to quell their fears. Opting to give them their privacy, the other Loonatics had given them free use of the conference room for the discussion, all eagerly awaiting the results of Zadavia's holographic conversation with Rev's parents. They had decided to wait in the living room, finding little things to do to occupy their time until Rev came back with the outcome.
That had been two hours ago.
"This is taking too long," Tech muttered, tail swishing in agitation as he continued his pacing. While his pace was relatively sedate, the fact that he was just short of stomping around the room showed just how affected he was.
"Maybe that's a good thing," Sive offered, watching with well-hidden wariness as Tech continued determinedly to wear a rut in the floor, waiting for the eventual snap in his patience. "They're probably just reasoning with his parents, talking everything out thoroughly, that kind of thing."
"Or they could be succeeding in convincing Rev that they're right," Tech replied, sounding as though he were simply stating a fact rather than considering his friend suddenly leaving them.
"Tech." He stopped his pacing at her admonishing tone, finally facing her as she gave him a chastising look for his pessimism.
He shrugged, restarting his pacing, only slightly calmer than before. "I never throw out any possibility until it has been proven false."
Sive huffed, rolling her eyes at Tech being so...Tech. She was about to fire off a quick retort when the door to the conference room opened, bringing a complete silence as everyone in the room stilled. One look at Rev and they all knew how it went.
Shoulders slumped and moving slowly by normal standards, Rev looked as though he hadn't slept in a week and was about to topple over. Besides that, he wore an expression that wouldn't have been out of place in a funeral parlor, making his teammates more worried for him than before. For his sake, though, they tried to hide it as best they could, veiling it behind support.
"That bad, huh?" Duck asked, for once no bite to his tone as he expressed his concern in his own unique way.
Rev sighed and nodded in affirmation. "Apparently-a-lot-of-things-have-been-bothering-them-for-a-while-now-and-Zadavia-wasn't-any-help-in-abating-their-fears."
"What is it that they're so worried about?" Lexi questioned, unable to fathom anything that would get the Runners so worked up as to try to convince their son to quit the team. Well, she could think of a few things, most of them involving the resident coyotes, but none had happened and she could say with certainty that none would ever happen, so she didn't count those options.
"Everything-from-risk-of-injury-to-lack-of-pay-to...ah..." Here Rev gave a covert little glance over to the coyotes on their side of the room. While neither actually saw it because Rev mostly had his back to them at that angle of the room, Tech still seemed to understand, giving a low growl quiet enough for only Sive and Lexi to hear. Sive also gave an irritated flick of an ear but remained silent.
"It seems weird ta me dat dey hadn't said anything about dis until now," Ace speculated, wisely changing the subject as quickly as possible. "Last time your dad didn't hesitate to say anythin' about some of dis stuff. Did dey say why dey're just now startin' ta act up?"
Rev shook his head, slowly moving to sit on the couch and stare forlornly at the floor. "No-they-didn't-and-I-didn't-ask-but-if-they've-been-this-upset-for-so-long-then-I-guess-the-blow-up-was-inevitable-and-I-feel-really-bad-for-not-noticing-their-worries-earlier."
"Hey, that's not your fault, Rev," Sive said reassuringly, leaving her corner of the room to stand closer to everyone else. Tech came with her, though he remained silent, his usual list of options to follow showing no signs of making an appearance. "You can't blame yourself for not noticing something that they kept from you." Rev didn't seem to agree, though, shaking his head in response before sighing and rubbing a hand down his face tiredly.
It was quiet after that, no one daring to say anything. Rev was still too shell-shocked to process anything, while everyone else all had one question on their minds but were too afraid to ask, be it because of Rev's possible reaction or because of his possible answer.
Tech was the one who finally build up the nerve to ask, quietly, "Do you know what you're going to do?"
Rev looked up from the floor for the first time since entering the room, meeting everyone's gaze for at least a moment, before shaking his head and returning his attentions to the ground.
xoxoxoxox
Not long after the result of the conversation with the Runners, Tech had sequestered himself in his lab, not emerging any time through the evening. He only had two interruptions, the first being when Sive phased through his door at dinner time with a plate of food for him. Recognizing that he hadn't wanted to talk, she had kept the visit brief. The second wasn't until much later, either ridiculously late at night or very early in the morning; though he was still wide awake, the coyote couldn't have been bothered to check the time. Reviewing the video footage from the bank heists while tinkering with a few gadgets had kept him occupied.
He heard the door slide open, but didn't bother turning around; he knew who it was. The door opened, so it wasn't Sive, and only one person had the override code for the door lock.
"Hey-Tech," Rev called nervously, hesitantly stepping into the room as the door automatically closed and re-locked behind him. "What-are-you-up-to?"
Tech gave a nod of acknowledgement, pausing the video and putting down his gadgets before turning and facing the roadrunner. "Nothing important enough for you to feel bad about interrupting. What's up?"
Tech already knew the answer to that, and Rev knew he knew. However, instead of answering his question, Rev moved closer to peer over Tech's shoulder at the screen behind him, still paused on the security footage. "Sive's-right-you-are-obsessing."
"And you're avoiding the question," Tech deadpanned, giving the roadrunner a pointed look.
Rev had the grace to look sheepish for a moment before steeling himself and meeting Tech's gaze again. "Tech-I-need-some-advice."
Tech sighed tiredly, shaking his head. Though he knew it had been coming, it still didn't make it any easier to deal with. "Rev, I'm not so sure that's a good idea. This is your decision, and moreover, it's between you and your parents; getting a third party involved won't make this any clearer."
"But-you're-my-best-friend-and-I'm-really-confused-and-I-don't-know-who-else-to-turn-to!" Rev explained, his tone almost crossing the line between desperation and hysteria very quickly.
"Rev," Tech began calmly, using a slow, even tone as he attempted to reason with his friend, "I understand where you're coming from, but I'm not the person you should go to for advice right now. A: I'm biased, and B: According to your parents, I'm part of the problem. Why not go to, say, Rip instead?"
"I-already-called-him-earlier," Rev informed with an irritated huff, clueing Tech in to what Rev thought of that conversation. "He-said-to-just-forget-Ma-and-Pa-but-they're-my-family-I-can't-do-that-to-them-what-they-say-does-matter-to-me-but-on-the-other-hand-you-guys-are-my-friends-I-can't-leave-you-behind-either-and-I'm-just-really-conflicted-right-now-and-I-don't-know-who-to-listen-to-anymore-and-!"
"Rev!" Tech shouted, gripping the frantic roadrunner's shoulders to get his attention. "Calm down! Going crazy isn't going to solve anything."
"But-everyone's-telling-me-something-different-and-I-don't-know-who-to-listen-to!" Rev cried, looking and sounding like he was near tears as he shook himself from Tech's hold. Both were silent then, giving the distraught roadrunner time to collect himself. It was a few minutes until Rev spoke, quietly saying, "You're-good-at-making-sense-of-everything-Tech...I-need-help."
Tech sighed again, leaning back against the desk behind him as he thought of a way to help without giving Rev a biased answer. Eventually, Tech gave a somber reply. "Normally I'd say something like 'follow your instincts,' but I know you neither want nor need some half-assed cliché...so I'll say this: You can't turn your back on those who care about you."
Rev remained silent, letting Tech's words wash over him to assist in formulating a course of action. He was smart, smarter than most may have thought, and it didn't take long for him to come to a conclusion. He wasn't sure if he liked what he came up with.
xoxoxoxox
Rain, Rip mused. Why is it always rain?
However cliché the weather was, considering the situation, Rip couldn't help but agree that it fit the situation. He wouldn't have been surprised if some of the dark clouds churning outside the window decided to break through and give them a good soaking indoors. It looked as though they'd have to settle for the bleak mood that was already permeating the room.
Everyone was there, save Rev. Even the mysterious boss-lady that ran the Loonatics was there, slowly pacing about the living room as the other members of the team sat around and moped. His parents were in and out and in and out, taking all of Rev's things down to the car as fast as the elevator could move. (Yes, they were fast, but they simply didn't have the stamina to keep running up and down 134 flights of stairs.) It seemed that they wanted to be out of there as fast as they had gotten there upon receiving the call from Rev- again almost forgetting to bring Rip along in the process. Frankly, he couldn't tell where his older brother's sense had gone, but Rip hoped that he found it soon; this was starting to get ridiculous.
There was no way Rev could stay away for long. He loved the superhero gig, and with friends as good as these, there was no sense in leaving- especially if all he was going back to was his neglectful parents. Rip could tell just how close they all were by their reactions to his brother's leaving. Lexi, Slam, and Sive were sitting together on the couch, the former two looking like the most miserable people in the world while the third sitting between them tried to offer comfort as best she could, though Rip could tell by the look on her face and the slight droop in her ears that she wasn't unaffected either. Ace, meanwhile, was pacing around just as Zadavia was, but with a ferocity that suggested they would be needing repairs on something soon- most likely in the training room. Even Duck was showing some reaction, lounging sideways in an armchair with his legs hanging off the side and staring holes into the ceiling. Rip couldn't tell if that was how he moped or if he was angry like Ace was- probably somewhere in between.
Tech's reaction was the worst, though he was by far the most sedate. He was sitting in another chair on the other side of the room, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his hands partially covering his face. He still wore a neutral expression, though, and that was what made it alarming. Rip didn't see how he could be that calm. Considering how everyone else was giving him a wide berth, he wasn't the only one unnerved by the coyote's behavior.
Everyone in the room suddenly snapped-to as Rev walked in from the back hallway, either jumping to their feet or stopping in place at his entry. Rip straightened up from where he had been leaning on a doorframe, but mostly out of surprise. Rev was wearing street clothes, just jeans and a t-shirt when he walked in, holding his uniform under one arm. His usual red coloring was gone, replaced with his natural blue feathers and purple crest, and with his coloring went the usual brightness and fire in his eyes, replaced by a dull sheen as he moved uncharacteristically slowly into the room.
My God, he's actually going through with it! Rip thought incredulously.
While he was slow, Rev moved with a purpose, knowing what he had to do. Crossing the room as quickly as he could make himself, he hesitated a moment before handing his uniform over to Zadavia. She, too, paused a moment before receiving it.
"Are you sure of this, Rev?" she asked, not pushing for him to do anything but trying to see if it really was what he wanted to do.
"As-sure-as-I'll-ever-be," he replied with a shrug, as though he wasn't discussing anything of importance. He then shook it off, obviously not wanting to linger on his doubt and wanting to continue with his agenda. "It's-been-great-working-with-you-Zadavia."
Zadavia nodded, giving a rare, soft smile in return as he shook Rev's hand. She had made it a point not to get too personal with any of them, so it was no surprise that, even though it was Rev, the goodbye was fairly formal. "It has been an honor having you on the team, Rev. Keep in mind," she added a little softer, "that you are welcome back at any time. There will always be a place for you here."
Rev nodded, purposely not meeting her eyes to give away any uncertainty. "Thanks-I'll-keep-that-in-mind."
He then moved on to Ace, even slower than before. Unsure of how personal Ace wanted to get, knowing that the bunny ran the spectrum from formal to relaxed, he stuck out his hand for a handshake. Ace looked at his hand for a moment, before shaking his head and saying, "Nuh-uh," moving his hand aside as he stepped forward and wrapped the happily surprised roadrunner in a quick hug. "Zadavia's right; ya always got a place here. And I'm expectin' ya ta visit often."
"You-know-it-Ace," Rev replied. "I-hope-I-get-the-chance-to-work-with-you-again-sometime."
"Likewise," Ace agreed, before stepping back and allowing Rev to move on. "You take care."
Rev nodded once, offering a small smile of acknowledgment, before moving on, this time to the trio on the couch. Lexi was first, obviously trying to hold back tears as she wasted no time in engulfing the roadrunner in one of her surprisingly strong hugs. Both too overcome, neither said much, simply hugging tightly while desperately holding back tears. Eventually Lexi released him, but he didn't make it far before being scooped up by Slam, already bawling loudly as he almost snapped the roadrunner in half.
"Aw-Slam-it's-okay," Rev said, doing a surprisingly good job of keeping his voice steady through the emotion and lack of air Slam's hug was providing. Hearing the strain, the Tasmanian devil lightened up on the pressure a bit, but still didn't release him. "I'm-still-going-to-visit-it's-not-like-I'm-leaving-forever-or-moving-halfway-across-the-world-or-anything."
Slam nodded in acceptance, but it was still quite some time before he could be convinced to release the roadrunner. Sive was up next, and expecting the normally introverted coyote to be another not-hugging-type, he began to extend his hand, only to be once again pleasantly surprised when she said, "Come here, you," and gave him a hug. His surprise was short lived, though, and he indulged in a fairly quick hug with the shorter coyote. "Keep in mind," she said after separating, "if your parents ever get out of hand, you know who to call."
Rev chuckled a little, a huge step considering how upset he'd been only moments before. "I'll-remember-that-but-could-you-do-one-thing-for-me?"
"What's that?"
"Make-sure-Tech-doesn't-kill-himself?"
Sive smiled, nodding in affirmation. "On it. Just make sure you take care of yourself too, yeah?"
"Sure-thing-Sive," Rev agreed before moving on to Duck. Frankly, he hadn't been sure what to be expecting from the mallard, but the offered handshake was more than what he thought he'd get, so he took it without question.
"Watch yourself out there," Duck advised. "Without me there to watch your back, who knows what could happen."
Rev somehow resisted rolling his eyes, but did appreciate the last touch of normalcy from Duck. "I'll-keep-that-in-mind."
With one last nod, the mallards eyes then gluing themselves to the floor, Rev moved on to Tech, now standing but still with that neutral expression. It was awkward for a moment, neither sure what to do or say, until Tech began with, "I'll be missing you in the lab. Won't be the same without your chatter."
"And-here-I-was-thinking-that-you-found-me-annoying," Rev replied, knowing that that wasn't the case. "It's-not-like-I-can't-visit-and-my-parents-let-you-over-once-I-don't-see-why-they-won't-again."
"Actually, they let me over far more than that, and I have the scars to prove it," Tech deadpanned before finally getting to the point. "It won't be the same without you here."
"It-won't-be-the-same-not-being-here," Rev agreed. "I'll-miss-seeing-you-around."
"It'll be like college again, only seeing each other when we can both get away from work," Tech reasoned, even though both knew that instead of being a dorm away, they'd be cities apart.
Before they could go any further, Rev's parents zipped back in, all of their son's belongings now packed up in the car. "Okey-dokey-now-that-that's-all-settled-we-can-make-like-eggs-and-scramble-on-out-of-here-Rev-honey-are-you-all-set-to-leave?" Harriet asked, giving a thinly veiled look of distaste at her son's proximity to the coyote.
"Almost-Ma-I-just-need-to-" And here, there was yet another interruption, but this one more vital.
The alarms of HQ started blaring, not set to deafen but to startle the Loonatics into readiness. It had the desired effect, all of them, Rev included, adopting a ready stance as they peered about, habitually preparing for Zadavia's holographic appearance before remembering that this was one of the odd times that she was right there.
"Rev!" Ralph barked, Rev flinching at the chastising tone before relaxing.
Zadavia, meanwhile, was quickly skimming over the information she was receiving on a wrist-mounted computer. "Loonatics, it's our new thief again. He's just south of here; you may be able to catch him if you leave now."
With one last conflicted look, all of the Loonatics stormed out, save for Tech, who lingered another moment before giving his best friend a quick but strong pat on the shoulder and following the others out, the alarm silencing with their exit.
"Come-on-Rev-let's-get-out-of-here," Harriet said, gently but insistently urging her son into the elevator as Ralph already pushed the buttons, resulting in Rip just barely making it on in time once again. His pointed glare went unnoticed, however. "Rev-honey-I-know-you-don't-think-it-right-now-but-this-is-for-the-best."
"You're-definitely-not-leaving-much-behind," his father groused. "That-boss-of-theirs-doesn't-do-much-she-just-makes-them-do-all-the-dirty-work-it-really-isn't-right-"
Here Rev tuned out his parents, reflecting on what he had just done, and wondering for the umpteenth time if it was the right choice.
xoxoxoxoxox
It was a long drive, but eventually the Runners reached their home up on the cliff. They couldn't even get through the door before Ma was talking about making one of Rev's favorite meals for dinner to welcome him home, and Pa was talking about how he already had great plans for Rev at his company and how he'd be the greatest project manager they'd ever seen. Rip occasionally tried to get a word in edgewise, sometimes looking as though he was going to object to whatever his parents were saying and other times looking as though he were going to offer some form of comfort to Rev, only to be run over, literally and/or figuratively, by one of his parents.
All of this passed over Rev's head as he looked around 'home.' Nothing had changed since he'd left; it all looked the same. His family seemed…as normal as they could get. But something still felt off, and it wasn't just his odd relations. He couldn't put a finger on what it was, but he knew immediately what it made him think of it.
This wasn't home for him. Not anymore.
A/N: Okay, I'm tired now. Must sleeeep… R&R!