By kiboojosama
Based upon the two pictures of the junkyard planetoid done by jasjuliet.
I've been in tighter spots than this, but at the moment, I couldn't remember one. Of course, I'd only had four hours of sleep in the last seventy-two. A very hectic, nerve-wracking, combative seventy-two hours at that. It was no wonder my brain felt fuzzy and sluggish.
I glanced down at the woman in my arms. Aya sat very still, only her eyes moving in a constant side to side sweep of the area. She was keeping watch so that I could rest. I should be resting, too. I had just been on edge for so long I found it impossible to relax enough to sleep. Besides, surrounded as we were…no. Sleep was an impossibility.
It wasn't possible to apply a normal criterion to Aya. As an AI, she had a different physiology to organic beings, after all. It had taken me months to figure out how to properly reader her. At the moment, I found it more challenging than usual. Her white components were scuffed, scratched and filthy on almost every square inch. The green segments were paler than the usual dark tone, more translucent, and little flickers appeared here and there. To my eyes, she looked as exhausted as I felt, even though I knew she couldn't feel fatigue the way I could.
But then again, maybe she was tired. This thrice-cursed planet seemed made of that hellish yellow stone. We'd searched endlessly for a clear space to rest in, but the best we'd been able to find was this area near the mountain. Even then, yellow stone lay scattered not a stone's throw from us.
Really, all things considered, I found it remarkable Aya had managed to retain her form considering how surrounded we were by fear.
She couldn't do much more than hold herself together, though. Never mind fighting ability, she found it difficult to stand upright. She felt like she was a burden to me and it upset her. I knew how fiercely independent she was and it pained me to see her troubled and upset.
Why had I agreed to this gods' forsaken mission?
Three days ago, when Aya had picked up the two distress signals, Hal had thought it natural to split up. One distress call had made it clear multiple people needed help, so Hal and Kilowog took the Interceptor. Since the other signal came from a nearby planet, Aya and I had been ordered there.
As soon as Hal had said the words, I knew we shouldn't go. An uneasy knot formed in the pit of my stomach. I'd been a soldier too many years to not recognize that gut feeling instantly. Nothing good had ever followed it. But Aya had agreed instantly, so….
My bad luck insured that as soon as we'd arrived on planet, we landed directly in trouble. First, Aya had almost fallen because of all of the thrice-cursed fear stones. I managed to catch her, but it had landed us in a mini-valley piled high on all sides with scrap metal. And, from the smell of it, not just metal lay in that valley. My experience as a soldier knew the smell of blood too well to not recognize that instantly. My initial confusion cleared up quickly when several burly scavengers had appeared and tried to tear Aya apart.
They didn't see the woman I did—all they saw was a highly evolved robot with some very expensive parts, if they sold it on the right market.
I stepped forward and met them with a snarl. They weren't taking her. She'd already been taken once and torn limb from limb and I'll never allow that to happen again.
What followed was one of the most intense fights I'd ever lived through.
Being on such low ground put us at a severe tactical disadvantage. None of them were particularly strong fighters, but they just seemed to come from every direction. Fighting while keeping a tight defense on Aya proved more challenging than I'd expected. They were quite wily in trying to get her away from me, too. I finally managed to fight free and gain the top of the hill only to discover an entire guild of people waiting for us. Everything was a blur after that. It was just an endless stream of opponents, pain from multiple wounds where they'd gotten past my guard, and a bone-deep fear that I wouldn't be able to protect Aya.
Unexpectedly, when I defeated their strongest fighter, the guild designated me as the new leader. There were pros and cons to being "king of the hill" (as Hal would put it). I'd been able to attain basic medical supplies. I slapped a field dressing over the worst of the gashes and ignored the rest of it. When that was the only demand I issued (aside from the one to stay well away from Aya), they backed off and went back to hacking valuable parts out. The majority of the guild showed deference or avoided me after that.
But some saw me as an opportunity for advancement. Already wounded, my position even more vulnerable because of Aya's limited mobility, I made for an easy target. In the past four hours, I'd already repelled two sneak attacks.
"Razer, you should be sleeping," Aya admonished softly.
She hadn't even glanced my direction, so how…? Monitoring my vital signs, probably. Her range wasn't much right now, but since she was in my lap, even her flickering systems wouldn't need much energy to keep tabs on me. "It's a little difficult to sleep with rocks digging into my back," I answered dryly. Not to mention with a blazing sun overhead.
"If you would release the chain around our waists, you could shift to a more comfortable position."
I shook my head before she even finished. "No. The chain is a blatant mark for them—they know they'll have to fight me to get you." The chain was psychological warfare, but I'm not sure if she would fully understand that if I phrased it that way.
"Razer, I can transfer myself to a single component—"
I knew what she was suggesting and flinched from the idea of letting them cannibalize her body. It didn't matter if she could build another. The whole idea was repulsive. "No."
She turned slightly to look up at me, her blue eyes dimmer than usual. "Razer—"
"No, Aya." My voice was harsh and I had to swallow twice before I could smooth the roughness out. "I will never abandon you."
"But it wouldn't be abandonment," she insisted, brows drawing together slightly.
I almost did it once and just the memory of that left a bad taste in my mouth. "My conscious says otherwise."
She frowned at me and despite the situation I almost smiled seeing it. As far as I can tell, this look is reserved for me alone. It adequately says I can't believe how stubborn you're being. "I can make any number of bodies and this one is already damaged. Your concern is ridiculous."
Hm. Alright, time to rephrase before she really gets her back up. "Giving you up now would actually put me at a tactical disadvantage. They would take it as a sign of weakness."
She blinked, processed this, and then said, "Oh."
I snugged her back in against me, putting my chin on top of her head.
She leaned back against me willingly enough, but she murmured, "You are worried about our watchers?"
Every time that someone had snuck up from the crags around us, checking on us, I'd always made sure that she was close. I didn't want them to think I'd dropped my guard or lost interest in keeping Aya. Keeping both hands on her was a good way to send the message to anyone looking. But I hadn't seen anyone nearby when I pulled her in. My eyes darted to the short, stubby foothills around us, searching the red-grey stone for any sign of a guild member. Nothing.
"No," I responded calmly, half-teasing, "I'm just hot. The metal on you is helping me to stay a little cooler."
"Perhaps we should move into a place with shade?"
"Every place that has shade is smack on top of those accursed fear stones. No. I'll be fine, Aya." I didn't have an option on that. I had to be fine. For her. Until Hal and Kilowog noticed that we were atrociously late and came looking, I had to be fine.
By my count, they were about five hours overdue for a rescue.
One of her hands came up and with light fingertips she touched the ring on my middle finger. "How is the ring's power?"
"It'll hold until we're rescued." Hopefully. It hadn't been fully charged when we left the ship and I'd used it a great deal since our arrival yesterday morning. Green Lantern John Stewart had taught me the trick of shedding the armor without taking off the ring. As soon as I felt safe enough to do so, I'd taken the armor off. Without it, I looked rather the worse for wear—I had holes in my clothes from head to foot. But it saved quite a bit of energy this way. I'd rather save that energy for when I really needed it.
"They should be here soon." She said it softly, like it was a forgone conclusion, but I could hear the note of uncertainty.
"I agree." Without thinking, I turned my head and placed a soft kiss on her temple.
She let out a quick gasp and froze. My body slowly went taut when I realized what I had just done. It hadn't been any sort of conscious decision on my part. It was just…instinct. I knew she was upset and worried for me, and…I'd wanted to reassure her and…it was just, well, instinct.
Despite the chains, she turned fully in my arms so that she could face me directly. The expression there was unlike any other I'd ever seen from her. I couldn't even begin to decipher it. But it felt like we were both holding our breath, balancing on a sharp edge. She reached up in an achingly slow, tentative motion to softly touch my cheek. As innocent as the gesture was, it still made my breath shudder. It had been so long…so achingly long since someone had touched me that gently. Instinct took over once again and I turned my face into it. The cool metal on her palms felt amazingly good against my overheated skin.
Once again I lifted my eyes to hers and this time I didn't see doubt. This time, I knew the expression burning brightly in her eyes. I'd seen it once before, months ago, when I'd stepped through a Star Sapphire portal and rescued her. She had looked at me then with the same hope and softness.
I swallowed hard. Ever since that day, I'd been coming to grips with my own emotions. This feeling had been growing within me and had been nameless for a long time—mostly because I refused to acknowledge it. But when that nameless emotion is strong enough to send you across the galaxy and right at Aya's feet, well, even the most obtuse can't deny it any longer. I knew good and well what I felt for her.
But I'd also known that as much as Aya had grown in the past several months, there were still many things she had yet to discover about herself. I hadn't felt any pressing need to confess myself to her. For one thing, I wasn't entirely sure if she'd understand what I meant by it all.
Or so I'd thought.
That look in her eyes, though, and that soft, sweet smile she was giving me—that said plainly she knew good and well what love was. It also said, incredibly, that she felt it for me.
Before my logical processes could shut down completely, I forced myself to say, "Aya. I am not the right partner for you."
She looked back at me calmly, her smile fading. Then she got that look, the one reserved just for me at my stubborn moments, and she declared serenely, "I do not agree." With that said, she slid both arms around my shoulders and hugged me tightly.
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding before returning the embrace just as fiercely. "Good," I whispered into her shoulder.
The frown was clear in her voice when she asked, "If you didn't want me to agree, why did you say that?"
It was my last ditch effort of being noble, that's why. "Never mind, it doesn't matter." Driven on instinct again, I turned just enough to press my lips softly to her neck.
"I do like it when you kiss me," she responded in something very similar to a purr.
The predominantly male side of me was very pleased to know this. Still, maybe I should say something. "Aya, I—"
From just over the rise, there was the sound of something being blown to bits. I could see different shards of metal being flung in every possible direction. I recognized the pattern well after being exposed to it for nearly a year—Hal and Kilowog had finally appeared.
I looked at the Interceptor heading straight for us at breakneck speed and growled. Now? They show up now? Just when I'd finally—oh, never mind. Letting out a sigh, I untangled myself a little and let the chains disappear. "It seems that our rescue has finally arrived."
She looked up as well and I could swear she was pouting. "Yes, so it seems. We should leave soon. You require medical attention."
My body was achingly aware of that fact.
Someone on the ship must have been honing in on either my ring or Aya's energy signature because they landed neatly right in front of us, the ramp extending even before they'd properly set down. Kilowog was the first one out, his eyes scanning in every direction, looking for potential trouble. I was just as glad to see that caution. I wouldn't feel safe again until we were off this miserable rock.
Hal was fortunately right behind him. "Aya, Razer, you two alright?"
Aya responded before I could. "I am fine, but Razer requires medical attention."
My attempt to bypass any of their fussing fell flat when I realized I couldn't even stand properly. The wound on my thigh was unfortunately deeper than I first realized. Kilowog caught me just as I started to sway.
"Easy there, kid. I got you." He put one of my arms around his shoulder, bending slightly so that I didn't have to strain upwards. "Aya, can you move?"
"She can't," I answered quickly. Aya didn't know how to take it easy. "Hal, get her."
"Right." He sped past us at a quick trot.
Kilowog was intent on getting me on board, so I couldn't watch to make sure that Aya was safe like I wanted. I tracked the situation by ear instead. Aya tried to insist that she was alright, but fortunately Hal is the sort of man to pay close attention to the details. He just picked her up mid-protest and started back to the ship with a quick stride, his boots crunching on the loose gravel.
In short order I was in the "sickbay" on ship. Aya must have recovered her usual energy as soon as she was on board, as I heard her calmly talk with Hal as the ship was quickly prepped for takeoff and coordinates were punched in.
Relieved, I let myself flop onto the bed.
"You look a little rough, kid." Kilowog said this the same way he'd say any casual comment but I could see the concern in his eyes.
"It looks worse than it is," I responded wearily. Now that I was finally in a safe location, and away from that horrendous heat, fatigue was crashing in on me. My body was reminding me in a very sharp manner that it was due about twenty-fours of sleep. It wasn't happy that I was fighting to stay awake. Actually, I wasn't happy about that either, but I had to make sure all of these wounds were properly cleaned out and wrapped first. We didn't have the luxury of going to a hospital if something went wrong.
"Quite the situation we found you in," Kilowog commented as he started stripping bloody bandages off of me. "Junk pirates, signs of battle all over the place, and then you sitting there holding onto Aya like she was some crown treasure. I swear you're getting to be as bad as Hal. You're picking up his bad habits. What was your game plan back there, kid? Were you just going to rush into danger, defeat the bad guys, save the day, and be some sort of hero?"
"You forgot get the girl," Hal called from the other room. "Although granted, I didn't see any girls. Just grunting, sweaty pirates."
"Ha!" Kilowog kept going on a critique of my actions as he bandaged me up, but I didn't really pay any attention to him. My attention was on Aya, who came to stand at my bedside.
She was watching Kilowog work with open concern, brows tight. I caught her hand and squeezed it once in reassurance. When she finally looked up to meet my eyes I gave her a slight nod. I'd be alright, with a few days of rest and about a week's worth of sleep.
Her worry eased and she gave me that soft, special smile of hers that made me feel like the center of the universe. With her reassured, and Kilowog's rough-and-ready medical care finished, I let me eyes fall closed so I could finally claim my well-deserved rest. Still, even as I fell asleep, some irreverent part of my brain ruminated on Hal's last comment. Get the girl?
Who says I didn't?