Featuring special guest appearances by Alexander, character belongs to Bladezmd over on Tumblr
Terrance by ianwoodsisadilf over on Tumblr
Adrian by fellow-queer-birdguy over on Tumblr
Maya by leilaniethefirst over on Tumblr
Blake Fjellkjede by artsyjaybird over on Tumblr
Cindy by jekna-karma-lokert over on Tumblr
Stella by depressedbat over on Tumblr
Valery wu-sanchez by sunnyweatherz over on Tumblr
Cedar by collector-of-tommys over on Tumblr
And Charlotte Hope by ch33zu over on Tumblr
It was already lights-out by the time Tord exited his workshop down in the basement of the base.
However, he did not retire to his quarters as one would have. Instead, the Red Leader made his way up, expertly maneuvering and dodging Lieutenants patrolling the corridors around the corners. Now, being Red Leader himself one would think he has no reason to sneak his way about his own damn base, but Tord wasn't taking any chances.
Avoiding detection, Tord reached the empty hangar. Activity here has been lessened to a minimum during the night since the attacks, and other than the occasional guard or two Tord was not concerned with being caught here.
"Tom?" He called out into the gloom.
A low whistle drew his attention.
Tord whipped around and spotted Tom casually leaning against his Harley, arms crossed over his chest, and a playful gaze in his visor. "I caught your message." Tord whispered.
Earlier that noon, when Tord went down to the Test Room to tinker his stress away, anxious about the upcoming meeting with Edd the following day, he found a crumpled note hidden in the toolbox.
Meet me in the hangar after lights-out. We need to talk.
- Tom
And no other explanation was given. Needless to say, that didn't help his anxiety.
"What do you want to talk about?" Tord asked.
Tom straightened up. "Wanna get out of here and get some fresh air?" He motioned to his Harley.
Understanding dawned Tord. He smiled, ducking his head shyly. "Tom, I'm not allowed to leave the base. You know that."
"Maybe it's about damn time you stepped out of your gilded cage for a while and spread your wings, don't you agree?" Tom offered his hand. "Come on. What's the point of being Red Leader if you can't have freedom?"
Tord's heart pounded in his ears with excitement. Leave it to Tom to be a delinquent. Though his offer is highly tempting. A night-escapade with his boyfriend? How could he resist?
"Okay." He conceded. "But we have to get back before dawn. I have to conduct the morning gathering before we depart for Belgium."
"Deal." Tom nodded, mounting his Harley. "Although, I seriously doubt the chopper will leave without their leader. Kinda defeats the purpose of the meeting, you know?"
"Shut up." Tord chuckled, playfully batting him on the shoulder.
Gingerly, he climbed the back of the Harley and wrapped his arms around Tom's middle, his breath coming in fast.
"Hold on tight."
That was the only warning Tord got before Tom revved up his engine and sped off towards the hangar's entranceway. They plunged into the night, the cool mountain air swept past them, ruffling their hair. Tord's grip on Tom tightened and he buried his face in his boyfriend's back. Tom grinned.
"Come on, Commie. Look up and enjoy the ride! This is the best part."
Tord begrudgingly lifted his head and squinted his one eye open, letting the cold night wind pierce the sensitive flesh of his skin.
The mountain range shone silver under the moonlight. Though it was incredibly dark out here, Tom managed to drive with no issues thanks to the night-vision feature on his visor. Tord gradually relaxed. Straightening up he leaned back and smiled, relishing the breeze and admiring the starry night sky above him.
"Where are we going?" Tord asked loud enough to make himself heard above the thundering roar of the engine.
"Wait and see."
Clearly Tom had to put a great deal of planning into this, and Tord knew that no amount of pressing would make him spill the beans on this surprise. That was just fine with Tord. He sighed fondly and nuzzled closer to Tom, content being near his dear beloved Thomas and far away from the judging eyes of his army.
When was the last time he actually set foot outside his own base? Tord can't even remember. Peering upwards, he observed the night sky and the stars twinkling far above him, recalling a time when he'd go camping when he was younger and wishing he'd taken the time off his duties to stargaze sooner.
They drove for what felt like an eternity, though in reality it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. Driving up and down slopes, and veering through steep curves, Tom slowly came to a gradual stop and shut off the Harley's engine.
Tom offered his hand to help Tord down. "Where are we?" Tord prompted, gazing around the dark field ahead. He could hardly see his own hand waving in front of his face.
"You don't recognize it?" Tom tipped his head.
Tord snorted and rolled his eye. "Not all of us have access to night vision, Thomas."
Tom sighed impatiently. "Your sight will adjust to the darkness in time."
Standing together in the field during the dead of night, they held hands and waited. Gradually, Tord's vision started to adapt to the dimness and the moonlight helped shine the slope ahead; silhouetting a mass of pine trees up ahead, and faintly Tord could make out the tiny lights of the nearest town shining in the distance beyond.
Tord gasped with recognition. "This is…" The place we went our separate ways over five years ago. "Why have you brought me here?"
In the darkness, Tom's neon green eyes shined brighter. His face was blank, giving nothing away as he stared off into the distance. "It's too cold to stand around." He noted. "Race you to the treeline!" He hared away, and then stopped once he realized Tord wasn't following. "What's wrong?"
Tord fidgeted. "It's too dark."
"You have other senses, don't you? Follow my voice and you'll be fine. C'mon, I'll race you! Unless you're scared." Tom added mischievously.
"No way! Have you forgotten who you're with?" Tord smirked. He charged past Tom and raced down the slope, his uniform billowing in the wind. "Catch me if you can!" He called.
Tom laughed and gave chase, keeping up easily with Tord. There was once a time when Tom would've struggled to maintain pace with the Norwegian. Now look at them!
Manifesting his powers, Tom stretched out his claws and fell on all fours; scratching away at the ground as he put on an extra burst of speed. He pulled ahead of Tord, tail streaming out behind him.
"No fair!" Tord cried out, panting. "That's cheating!"
Tom skidded to a halt at the edge of the woods. "I've won." He lashed his tail.
Rather than stopping, Tord reached him only to spin around and race away again. "Last one to reach the treeline and back is the overall loser!"
Tom said nothing, only snorted in amusement as he watched Tord's retreating figure growing further away from him. He decided to give the human a head start for this final lap of their race. He took his time, admiring how much of a dork Tord really was. Here he is, the great Red Leader, feeling playful. A rare sight to see, and not everyone gets to glimpse it.
When Tord was nearly back up the slope again, Tom took a deep breath and took off running. Eyes strained forward and ears pressed to his skull, Tom galloped across the field in a matter of heartbeats and effortlessly outpaced Tord.
He reached the top of the slope first, circled around and charged Tord; pouncing on him.
Barreling together, they rolled over and over down the grassy slope until they crashed at the bottom. Tom had Tord pinned down underneath him. "I've won again." He flashed him a sharp-toothed smile.
"Not bad." Tord conceded, weary and out of breath. He patted Tom on the shoulder and rolled him off of him.
Tom climbed off of him, shifting back to human. "You did well… for a tobacco-breath."
"What did you call me?" Tord looked at him sharply.
Tom met his gaze. "Tobacco-breath."
Without warning Tord lunged for him, laughing, but Tom was quick to step back and avoid him. He raced away toward the treeline.
"Just you wait until I get my hands on you!" Tord threatened, but his voice cracked with amusement.
"You'll never catch me!"
Tom arched a wide circle around the field, Tord never more than a couple steps behind him, until Tom tripped with exhaustion.
"I- I can't… I can't run anymore." Tom gasped.
Tord collapsed beside him.
"Tobacco-breath." Tom whispered smugly.
Tord suddenly flipped himself over Tom, straddling him and pressed his hand into Tom's neck, careful not to choke him as he started tickling him. Tom tried to bat him away, laughing, but Tord pulled his hands away and continued attacking him. "Who's a tobacco-breath?" He challenged.
"No one!" Tom wailed.
Accepting the answer as a means of surrender, Tord rolled off Tom and lied down on the grass next to Tom, peering up towards the dark sky overhead swathed in silver flecks.
"It's beautiful out here." Tord sighed. "I've missed this."
"I figured." Tom rumbled. "Have you really not stepped foot outside the base since you let me go?"
"Yeah." Tord took a deep breath. "I started the war not long after and my Generals suggested I stayed put, for my own safety."
Tom hummed thoughtfully. "Safe, maybe. Healthy, not so much. I'm surprised you haven't gone nuts already."
Tord chuckled. "At one point you would've argued I was already nuts to begin with."
They fell under a comfortable silence; both content to just lie back and stargaze in each other's company for a while. Their breaths billowed in the air above them, hardly visible in the dimness.
"What can you hear out here?" Tom eventually broke the silence.
"Nothing." Tord replied. "Just the wind howling. Why?"
"I can hear everything." He said solemnly, and that's when Tord took notice of his monster ears pricked and swiveled attentively forwards. "I hear a stream gurgling rapidly nearby. A herd of sheep huddle in a barn farther up the mountain. Vehicles are driving up and down the road…" He paused, his tone softening. "... And people are praying and crying in their homes."
Tord looked at him in alarm. "I'm sorry, Tom, I cannot change what you hear." He reached out to scratch Tom behind the ears.
"Do you smell the smoke at least?" Tom questioned. "Ever since the war started all I smell is smoke. You'd have to be pretty far away from civilization altogether to smell anything else but the pungent scent of smoke."
Baffled by his words, Tord tried to sniff the air. It wasn't as fresh as he first thought, however he was so used to smoking cigars that it made no difference to him. "My sense of smell isn't as keen as yours I'm afraid."
"I know." Tom released a heavy sigh, holding back the purr in his throat as he leaned into Tord's affectionate touch. "So… today is the meeting, huh?"
"Yeah."
"How are you feeling about this?" Tom asked, taking Tord's wrist in his hand as he stared deeply into his eye.
Tord swallowed. "Nervous, I suppose." He confessed. "A little thrilled, too. I can hardly believe I will meet Edd face to face after all these years."
"If I know Edd, I am certain you're not alone in these feelings." Tom reassured, caressing Tord's cheek with the back of his knuckles. "He might be more anxious than you, I bet."
"If he is still the same Edd." Tord reminded cautiously. "A long time has passed since either of us last met him. How can we be certain he is still our friend?"
"He is. I know he is." Tom whispered, his conviction so strong it wiped away Tord's doubt in an instant. "Edd wouldn't have gone out of his way to accept your invitation if he didn't care. That's a huge giveaway!"
Tord snorted. "You're right. Besides, we both know classic Edd would never change." His smile fell, and his gaze darkened. "He's always been stuck in the past. He is… funny that way."
Taking notice of the sudden tone shift in Tord's voice, Tom reached out and touched his shoulder. "That doesn't mean he doesn't care." He said. "Our friendship means everything to him, you know this. Be patient with Edd."
Tord nodded, glancing away. "I'll try. But I can't promise you we'll find an agreeable compromise to ending this war." He nuzzled his face into Tom's chest, avoiding the look of disappointment in his boyfriend's face. "I want so many things… I want to apologize and make amends with Edd. I want to conquer the world. But most of all, I want you to be happy. But I am afraid these three things are impossible to coexist."
He felt a hand touch his back, embracing him. "It's hard to say." Tom admitted. "You might have to sacrifice a few demands of your own to make it happen, or maybe it is truly beyond your reach at this point. But the important thing here is to try. Do your best and try, and you need not be afraid of the result, because you at least had the bravery to face impossible odds. If things don't work out in the end… well, you can't say you didn't give it your best in the end."
Tord snuck a glance up at Tom, and he lost his breath when he found his digital gaze steadily staring down at him; eyes filled with warmth.
"You're the Red Leader, Tord. You have to do your duty. And you'll do it brilliantly. Do your best out there, Commie. Give it a try and I know Edd will meet you halfway." Tom urged softly, combing back his lover's hair. "And you don't need to fret over what I think. If you really want to know, I'm so proud of you for taking the necessary steps to end this conflict peacefully." He bent down and placed a kiss on Tord's forehead.
"I'll try." Tord promised, blinking back tears. "I know what I have to do, I just don't know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me when the time comes?"
"Anything." Tom nodded. "I'll be there for you, my friend, just as you've been there for me when I needed it most."
"Hey," Tord gasped, a faint smile on his face as he wiped his eye. "You… called me your friend."
Tom chuckled. "We're actually more than friends at this point, but I figured you waited long enough to hear this from me."
"Thank you, Tom." Tord hugged him. "I promise I will try my best to end the war."
"No problem. Just don't forget-" Tom's words became a blur to Tord's ears. He was far too ecstatic in this moment of fika.
He could already envision the future enfolding before him. Red Leader standing at the top of the world with Tom by his side, Paul and Patrick as his right hand men respectively, and accompanied by Matt and Edd's faithful support. A world for them and them alone. Together they could do this! This reverie is just within reach.
"Tord, wake up! We have to go."
"Huh? What?"
Tord blinked open his eye, not realizing he must've drifted off at some point during their conversation. He rubbed his eye with one fist. The field they were in was brighter now, with the glimpses of sun rays peeking over the horizon as the sky turned a shade lighter.
"Oh f#ck! It's nearly dawn." Tord jumped to his feet.
"That's what I've been trying to tell you." Tom mused.
"Take me back, please!" Tord begged as he mounted the Harley, waiting for Tom to join him. "C'mon! Let's go!"
Tom revved up the engine and took off back to the base. The sun gradually climbed higher and higher in the sky, painting the clouds in warm hues. Reaching the Red Army base, they drove into the hangar and drifted to a stop.
"Oh thank God - I don't think anybody noticed my absence yet." Tord breathed a sigh of relief as he climbed off the Harley. It would have been disastrous if his soldiers caught sight of him riding the back of a Harley with their sudden mysterious guest. How would he even begin to explain himself if they did? He turned to leave but hesitated, glancing back at Tom bashfully. "Ah… thank you for inviting me out tonight. I think I really needed to clear my head before today's meeting."
Tom dipped his head. "Don't mention it. You should probably go now, before your Generals start wondering where you've been."
"Ah yes! Of course!" Tord hurried away.
On his way to the Great Hall, Tord passed a couple of soldiers who stiffened and blinked back in shock at the sight of Red Leader walking the corridors at this hour. He ignored them. He has every right to come and go as he pleases in his own base; he doesn't have to explain himself. Checking the clock on his robotic arm, Tord knew breakfast was nearly at an end and hurried his step.
"Where have you been?" Patrick demanded as he joined him backstage of the Great Hall. The General looked at him incredulously, hands on his hips.
"Around." Tord replied airily. "Has anyone else noticed?"
"Just Paul and I. We told the other Generals you were taking your time tinkering with a brand new project." Patrick crossed his arms. "Seriously, where have you been? Paul was just about ready to take over for you!"
"I'm sorry, it won't happen again." Tord said, then frowned. Why am I apologizing? I am the Red Leader! I can do what I want. "I was just solving some… private matters."
He could tell Pat wasn't satisfied with his cryptic answer but he wasn't going to press now when time was of the essence. He stepped aside with a sigh." You better jump in there then," He told him. "Paul is nearly done with the roll call."
Stepping onto the stage, chin held high, Tord faced his soldiers with stoic dignity as he approached the mic. Patrick joined the other Generals in the private box off to the side of the stage, and amidst the crowd Tord spotted Matt's distinct ginger hair; looking more anxious than usual as he sat grouped together with the other medical staff.
Paul finished the roll call and stepped back, dipping his head to Red Leader as he left.
"Thank you, Commander." Tord drawled, clearing his throat. "Comrades, as you may well know by now today is the day I meet with the Green Leader. Some of you have been designated to accompany me to this meeting, and we will stay gone for however long this endeavor lasts. In my absence, I leave General Erica in charge of the base. She has proven to be more than capable in the past to run things in my stead. Those of you staying, I expect you to treat her with utmost respect and carry on as usual. Those of you accompanying me, head to the hangar immediately after the Morning Gathering ends. May we succeed in our mission and bring glory to our army!"
Murmurs of farewell and good luck wishes rippled through the crowd around the stadium.
Tord delivered a few more mention worthy news before calling the gathering to a close. Paul and Patrick joined him backstage, and as they made their way to the hangar, the other soldiers came by to join them. Yanov was flanking him with his staff following close behind with the mandatory equipment.
They arrived in the hangar, splitting the accompanying crowd in groups of three as Paul took the honors of making another roll call for all the designated soldiers.
Standing off to the side, Tord took the opportunity to look over his soldiers. Paul, the best Commander he could've asked for; Patrick, sensible and loyal; Yanov, his wise Lieutenant; Matt, the truest friend anyone ever had; Sarah, the sassy and humorous nurse; Alexander, the newest private of the Red Army, looking tense and eager to be made a part of this very important mission; Terrance, the artillery expert; Maya, the sharp-witted strategist; Adrian, the reserved but dedicated scientist; Blake, the best damn hacker in the whole army; Cindy, stoic and loving; Stella, smart and straight-forward; Valery, the valuable engineer; Cedar, quiet but true-hearted; Charlotte, the gentle giant of the army; and of course, Thomas, his beloved.
"Hey!" A sergeant shouted, glaring at Tom as he attempted to join the crowd parting for Germany. "You're not permitted aboard this craft, stranger!"
"It's alright, Sergeant Rex," Tord intervened. "I have granted him permission to join us. And he's not a stranger, he is our guest."
"With all due respect, sir, but is that wise?" The Sergeant stared at him incredulously. "Allowing this outsider to meddle with our affairs?"
"Let me worry about that, Sergeant." Tord growled. "I am Leader for a reason, after all."
The Sergeant bowed his head and shuffled away while Tom came to stand at his side, looking rather uneasy. "Are you ready?"
Tord smiled. "Ready as I'll ever be."