and on the green they tell their tales

[warborn]

WHO: First Aid, Fortress Maximus
WHERE: Megatronus' quadrant
WHEN Soon after Overlord makes his appearance on the Link
WHAT: Fort Max has a bit of a breakdown, finding out that his tormentor of three years is not as 'gone' as others once claimed.
WARNINGS: Strong allusions/references/memories of various types of torture/trauma.

---

"I'm timing you."

The memory of his voice had been bad enough. Of his face, and his form. Nightmares plagued him every night, and he'd given up hope of ever being able to rest without them - unless he could manage to wear himself down past exhaustion, where his processor couldn't manage defragment dreams.

But hearing the voice again - new, and fresh - and seeing his face...

One fit, apparently, wasn't nearly enough.

Fortress Maximus had collapsed against the rock, a hand over his mouth to stifle a scream. No sound, no noise, don't show yourself-why was he here, he was gone, they said he had been gone he was here, he was going to kill them all, make them wish they were dead or maybe he'd just snapped, finally broken, gone crazy and now he was seeing things, oh gods. Oh gods.

He wanted to shriek in terror. Run. Flee, like the utter coward he was. But Fort Max knew he couldn't stand against him, he'd tried, they had to believe he'd tried, but everything had been stripped away from him in that hellhole, power, pride, men, everything...

Somehow he was able to stumble to his feet, using the wall as support - but even then, he could barely walk. Fueled by the terrifying urge to move, to hide, find some sort of shelter before all hell broke loose again- Max blundered through the corridor as though blind.

He had to get out of here.

Comments

[warborn]

"I don't..."

He appreciates the company. But he's not sure he wants it. He doesn't want to talk, he doesn't want to spill his own secrets, he doesn't...

...we'll.

After a few moments of silence, Max shrugs uselessly.

"...you can. Keep talking."

If he wants.

[lifepersists]

"Oh, okay."

First Aid isn't sure where exactly to go from there. Aside from things he'll never speak -- the duty given to him by Springer -- that his his biggest secret. He reaches for Fort Max's hand, fingers brushing the side of it.

"Getting around has been a bit hard. I never had to go very far at Delphi, taking care of you and the others there. Ratchet's medbay and Pharma's clinic are almost a day's walk away. I'm sure you... don't really care."

He shrugs.

"I missed talking to you like this."

[warborn]

He doesn't...not...care. If it's any consolation. He tries to convey this through raising his other hand in a kind of shrugging gesture, but when the words don't come...he grimaces a bit at his own inability.

"...it's tough," he finally decides on saying. There. That sounds...about right. Hell, even before...everything...he was used to operating in a small area, unless dispatched to a combat site. But even then...that's hardly comparable to this.

And...

"..."

This is going to sound so slagging stupid.

"Can...talk anytime."

And then he shifts, looking away. Yeah, he probably just sounded like an idiot, right there.

[lifepersists]

It's fine, really. First Aid really isn't used to speaking much to anyone who would answer back anyway. It's different speaking to Faders or the dead. Just as it was difficult for Fort Max to think of things to say, First Aid was having difficulty adjusting to waiting for a reply.

He curls his fingers around one of Max's own, smiling up at him with his optics.

"Thanks. It's nice having someone who will listen."

He shakes his head.

"You know, after the whole demotion thing. Everyone thinks I'm crazy. But I'm not."

[warborn]

...First Aid? Crazy? The comment, more than the gesture, brings his optics back to the nurse, expression clearly confused. To say nothing of 'demotion' itself - maybe there was a reason, but it can't have been because of capability, because if First Aid was able to bring him back then that's saying something (especially regarding timing), but...

"...why would they say that?"

No, really. Why?