Buzz Lightyear of Star Command

Psyche

(Interlude: Buzz Lightyear)

(Disclaimer: I own nothing of BLoSC or the Disney company. This is a bonus chapter I've had floating around in my head for a long time now, a sort of chapter 2.5, if you will, taking place in between Buzz suspending Mira from active duty and then facing Warp again. Honestly, I have no idea when I will get the next main chapter out, so this is to, hopefully, keep you entertained in the meantime. For those who want to know, the song playing in Buzz's quarters is "All That Matters", another awesome song from RWBY that I highly recommend you listen to legally from Rooster Teeth before you read this chapter. Enjoy, and feedback, particularly constructive criticism, is appreciated! Thank you!)

0000

Buzz Lightyear, the Pride of Star Command, hero of the Galactic Alliance, champion of all things good and true, liked to think his years of service shaped him into a man more than capable of rolling with the punches and handling every situation that came his way. Very little caught him off guard for long, and he lost count of how many evil plots he foiled through his savvy wit, extensive training, or sheer, unbreakable determination in the face of miserable odds. Aiding his methods toward those ends, he enjoyed preparing himself for every contingency to the point where everyone around him questioned his sanity, but somehow, someway, to his immense satisfaction, the universe almost always ended up proving him right. On the occasions when he needed to eat a slice of humble pie, it sometimes took a while for him to swallow his pride and acknowledge where he went wrong, but he made sure to take special note of his failures and do whatever it took to better himself for next time.

If he improved not for his own sake, then he bettered himself for his comrades, especially his team.

Besides working well with them and enjoying their friendship, his desire for strength, preparedness, and adaptability formed a main part of why he chose Mira Nova, Booster Munchapper, and XR to be his new partners. Even if he never said it in so many words, they inspired him; they complimented his strong points and accounted for his foibles, reminded him that all sorts, not merely himself, formed the Galactic Alliance and Star Command, and, finally, helped him keep developing as a captain-rank Space Ranger, friend, and role model to everyone who fought for truth and justice.

XR's many, near-human character flaws kept Buzz alert for weaknesses and temptations sneaking in to plague his team. More: The little robot's diamond core within the rough reminded Buzz to be encouraging, gracious in forgiveness, and to look beyond the surface to the hidden depths inside everyone.

Booster's simple but powerful loyalty, honesty, kindness, and gentle nature reminded Buzz that, in the end, being willing to love others unconditionally and stick by their sides through thick and thin aided the forces of good more than any punch or wrist-mounted laser ever could.

Then, enter Mira Nova.

When Mira and Buzz first met on Tangea and fought together to protect her people, he remembered seeing a younger version of himself in her. Despite and perhaps because of her circumstances, the princess could not tolerate injustice and stood up for the right thing, even if it meant going against popular opinion and suffering intense disapproval and dislike from others. Her wit easily matched his, too, and, though it sometimes served to her detriment, she stuck to her guns like galactic glue whenever someone challenged her worldview. Every time she ate a slice of the same humble pie from which Buzz himself sometimes dined, he felt her embarrassment and rueful acceptance of her screw-up like they bloomed from his own heart. However, whenever she overcame herself and her circumstances to excel beyond anyone's expectations, he found himself rejoicing with the enthusiasm he granted his own victories.

Though he yet never married or raised his own children, Buzz considered Mira like his own daughter and Booster and XR his sons – or maybe "younger siblings" fit better; he was still a reasonably young man, not too far removed in years from Mira. Still, regardless of age, he resolved to stay by their sides and work for their best interests, whatever turmoil and struggles came their way, and keep his focus on helping them succeed to infinity and beyond.

This said, when anyone preyed upon his partners, Buzz took special affront. Though he knew that, for the most part, letting them fight their own battles with their own capabilities forged them into stronger people through the fire, the urge to position himself between them and their aggressors popped into his mind before his instinct to do anything else.

Of course, the situation went ten different ways of complicated when one of said aggressors used to be the person Buzz considered his best and closest friend, and no ounce of wit, training, or determination left him anywhere close to prepared.

0000

Close to sunset on Capital Planet's western hemisphere, Team Lightyear returned to Star Command from their mission against Warp Darkmatter on Tradeworld. The moment she exited 42, Mira hung up her suit and went straight to her quarters without looking at or saying one word to her teammates. Then, while she went her own way, Buzz strode straight to the command center and gave his report to Commander Nebula.

"I was afraid something like this was gonna happen; Mira's never been one to ignore extended insults to her honor," Nebula said with a long-suffering sigh. "You did the right thing, Buzz, especially keepin' your temper under wraps. Excellent job."

"Thank you, sir. Mira shouldn't be in the field until she can control her anger and act like the experienced Ranger you and I both know she is."

"Agreed. Zurg's flunkies hurtin' someone is one thing, but an innocent bystander bein' injured by a Ranger's carelessness is a different degree of serious."

"Yes, sir."

Nebula remained silent for a few seconds, and then he said, "Buzz… What, exactly, did you and Mira argue about after Darkmatter made his escape?"

Buzz replied, "I would rather not go into the details, sir," and looked past his commander to watch the LGMs working tirelessly at their stations.

Nebula grunted. "Come into my office for a minute."

"But –"

"That's an order."

Ten seconds later, a reluctant Buzz filing in after him, Nebula shut the door to his space and pressed the soundproofing switch. While the air took on a quality he dubbed 'condensed', the commander sat behind his desk, leaned back in his chair, folded his arms, and said, "Have at it."

"Sir –"

"Buzz." An empathetic tone entered Nebula's voice. "Don't think I don't know when you need to talk. Besides, I ain't lettin' you outta here until you do, so the sooner you unload, the sooner you and I can get on with our day. So, have at it."

Buzz inhaled, exhaled, inhaled again, and, knowing his commander would not budge by the tiniest fraction, surrendered.

"We… We argued about Warp, sir. Mira took extreme umbrage at how I still believe that, someday, he'll give up his evil ways and come back to us." Buzz sat down, and it took a moment longer than he intended for him to say, "Not only did Mira doubt me and tear into my conviction, she… She called me childish and stupid for believing in him after all the horrible things he's done. To be honest, sir, it took everything I had to not do or say something both of us would've regretted, and I'm glad she hasn't spoken to me since. I don't know if I can trust myself to answer her with enough restraint for a long while." Buzz rolled his lips between his teeth before saying, "What she said... Her words cut deep, sir."

Folding his fingers beneath his chin, Nebula took an extended breath and released it, his eyes closing. For several seconds, he said nothing.

"…sir?"

"Buzz… Listen. I'm not gonna say Mira was right to lash out at you or phrase things how she did. That, at least, was unprofessional and didn't help an already tense situation."

Buzz, his heart dropping, opened his mouth to reply –

"Before you say anything," Nebula continued, "I want you to know I'm sayin' this as your friend who's known you an' Warp for over twenty years an' seen what you two've gone through." He opened his eyes, his gaze locking onto Buzz's. "It's been a while, a long while, since I've seen a bond like yours come through Star Command; dozens of 'like brothers' an' 'like sisters' schticks come an' go through our doors, but you've got the real McCoy. There ain't no doubt in my mind about that. Your faith in Warp is more than commendable, an' he's beyond lucky to have someone willin' to believe in him like you do an' still be his friend despite the things he's done. If only every Ranger were half so lucky with their relationships with their teammates, there wouldn't be a bad guy in the universe who could stand against us.

"Buzz, I'm not sayin' you've believed in him for nothin' or that what you feel is stupid – it's not, believe me, not by a long shot – but…" Nebula leaned onto his folded fingers. "Maybe… Maybe it's time you considered, really considered the possibility – "

"No." Buzz leaped out of his chair, his palms slapping down on Nebula's desk. "I'm not giving up on him – Planet Z will freeze over first. Commander, I've seen the good in Warp – seen it with my own eyes more and more as the years have gone by! He's tried harder and harder to hide it, but even Mira, Booster, and XR have seen it! The goodness is there. If he were beyond saving, I'd know it; I'd feel it," he placed his hands on his chest, "right here. He and I, we're…"

"Two sides of the same unibuck."

"Exactly! You know exactly what I'm talking about," Buzz said. "Those years at the Academy, and those years serving as partners, especially after Nana passed away…" Buzz started pacing. "We went through so many of our ups and downs together, sometimes with only each other to count on…"

Nebula didn't answer. Simply, he listened to Buzz go on and watched him pace from one side of the office to the other many, many times.

Several minutes ticked past, and then Buzz, turning to face the door, came to a halt. Slowly, his hands ran backward over his head and down the back of his neck, where they came to rest, fingers interlocked. A shake tiny enough to escape the notice of less-experienced Rangers quivered Buzz's head from left to right.

Nebula, observing the shake along with the tense knuckles protruding from within Buzz's gloves, waited.

"I won't give up on Warp, sir. I can't," the younger Ranger declared at last. "I might as well give up being a Space Ranger if I did; I'd never forgive myself the betrayal of everything I stand for."

He then faced his commander, and, to Nebula's surprise, an unexpected smile shone on Buzz's face.

"I don't know how, why, or when, sir, but he'll come back around. It's not gonna be easy, and things aren't going to go back to exactly the way they were before – I'm not expecting that – but I know somehow, some way, Warp'll see the light. When he does, I'll be right here waiting for him and ready to forgive him, because if I've ever been sure of anything, Commander, it's this:

"Evil never wins, sir. Evil never wins."

Nebula's eyes drifted shut, and the soundproofed air pressed inward. For a moment, nothing existed in the universe but the two Rangers, a hopeful smile, and a professed conviction for the future.

Then, Nebula, shaking his own head by the slightest fraction, said, "If you say so, Buzz. If you say so."

0000

When Buzz entered the privacy of his quarters that night, he released the heavy sigh held within him since leaving the command center. His footsteps, so resolved walking through the halls, turned to trudging, and when he sat on his bunk, he bent over and rested his head in his hands. After a few seconds, Buzz, tired of prolonged silences and hoping to lighten his mood, reached over to his digital terminal and set some songs to playing, but his head soon returned to his hands again.

No one else listened in. Time to be honest with himself.

Nebula said it perfectly: Buzz Lightyear and Warp Darkmatter made up two equal, complementing sides of an amazing whole – their surnames even foreshadowed the fact. Where most would call Buzz straight-laced to the point of being a predictable goody two-shoes, Warp thrived especially in the "rough" part of the phrase "diamond-in-the-rough". In his preference to cut corners and bend the rules whenever convenient, Warp often came through troubles more flexibly and saw solutions where Buzz never would that often caught opponents off-guard. Though, when – not if – Warp crossed the line, he caught more flak than praise for his "improvising", ended up doing Star Command's reputation no favors, and relied on Buzz to bail him out. However, on the flip side, Buzz's sticking to the rules come what may highlighted precisely why the Galactic Alliance considered him a household name among its heroes, an archetype of pure goodness and honesty that reined in and made up for Warp's poorer behaviors. Not to mention, no one could say Star Command's paragon Ranger didn't learn where, when, and how bending the rules worked best.

Of course, Buzz listed his and Warp's similarities with the same ease: intelligence, bravery, stubbornness, athleticism, the drive to succeed, keeping cool under pressure, always rising to a challenge, and sometimes getting caught up in themselves and their own achievements, the last of which often leading them to fail to observe their surroundings or ask for help when they needed it. On a more mundane note, they appreciated good jokes, loved to party, and enjoyed some of the same music – their first bonding experience took place while they rocked out to "Free Bird" together in their dorm room one night. They even shared a fondness for kitty cats, and without hesitation, Buzz joined Warp in mourning when Mrs. Wilde, his old, sweet, yet jumpy ESA-registered feline – and their unofficial dorm room mascot – went to her long-deserved, everlasting buffet in Heaven's great kibble and milk factory. Buzz even gave her a long-thought-out and well-written eulogy before he helped Warp bury her.

Paving the way for Mira, Booster, and XR, Buzz Lightyear and Warp Darkmatter struck a rare balance among Space Rangers, the two of them compensating for weaknesses and combining strengths almost without thought. They learned new things from from each other perpetually, often because they differed so greatly, inspiring the best despite the times when one or both of them acted their worst. Even when upset and finding every bone in the universe to pick with each other, neither could deny the bond of brotherhood that sprouted between them over the years. From their rough start at the Academy, they helped each other through experiences and shared secrets, sorrows, and joys no other person in the Galactic Alliance would ever know, and Buzz considered Warp the brother he never had but always wanted, a bond second only to Buzz's relationship with Nana Lightyear herself.

And Warp, when presented with Zurg's blood-money, threw Buzz by the wayside.

Solemn, semi-jazzy piano and lyrics began playing, and Buzz slipped into deeper introspection.

He held no sort of romantic love with Warp, though a few...parties...still interpreted their relationship as such, and he certainly never asked or wanted Warp to commit his entire life to their bond that way. He doubted highly his friend would even consider the proposition for more than a nanosecond were that the case; the man held a well-documented, die-hard appreciation for the ladies that rivaled even his attachment to cold hard cash. On that note, Buzz always pegged Warp for the eternal bachelor type anyway; he rivaled Cirra Mistral herself for the gold "Total Amount of Casual Flings Held in One Lifetime" award in the Love-'Em-and-Leave-'Em Olympics.

However, though Buzz never judged Warp for his proclivities – he never once approved of them, but he never judged – neither that nor the differences between their personalities and beliefs lead Buzz to even imagine Warp's betrayal, nor the manner of it, with no trace of his body left to confirm his death or give Buzz some hope he survived…

…all done with Zurg's sadistic aid for one cruel purpose.

After Warp's mechanical fist knocked Buzz unconscious, after he woke to a cannon in his face and his former partner grinning down at him while asking, "Surprised?" in a malicious, remorseless voice, after hearing Warp shut down every desperate theory about the reason behind his double-cross, part of Buzz still hoped that the entire Agent Z debacle would end up a masquerade, some sort of strange but welcome plan to take down Zurg from within his own ranks. Hurtful methods or no, he would've leaped on board the moment the opportunity presented itself.

No. That day, the universe pulled the rug out from under Buzz Lightyear and punched him in the gut. For the next ten plus years – and, in truth, the previous ten – he and Warp existed on opposing sides of the law, their brotherhood poisoned by bitterness and a parsec-wide, ever-growing list of Agent Z's transgressions.

Pausing for a moment, Buzz lied back on his bunk and stared at the ceiling.

Warp tried hiding them, tried waving or laughing them off most of the time, but the universe needed to strike Buzz blind and deaf for him to not notice the unhealed wounds his partner carried from his past. Pain and turmoil bubbled continuously from beneath the surface and seeped into every aspect of Warp's life, Mrs. Wilde's companionship helping him cope only so much. Even those not so close to him, like Nebula, Ty, and Rocket, noticed the darkness hanging over him, though they thought it best to let sleeping dogs lie. However, Buzz – sometimes riding on his own hype, he admitted – never gave up on trying to address the issue from every angle he knew, always offering a sensitive ear and shoulder to his best friend.

Every time, Warp withheld the deepest, darkest part of himself. Even during their most personal bonding experiences, when the man strayed to the verge of letting it all out, he tamped down his feelings and, to Buzz's grief and frustration, said nothing.

Why? thought Young(er) Buzz. Why would Warp cling to his pain so strongly that he wouldn't – or couldn't – trust his best friend to understand and not think any less of him? And for what purpose?

Why? Just why?

Then, Buzz and Warp's penultimate mission together took place, and everything came to a tragic head.

A massive, multi-district fire broke out on the small, very technology-resistant planet of Gibbous II. At the mission's height, a young Ranger wanted to rescue a dementia-addled old woman who, untended and unwilling to leave the only home she ever knew, wandered back into a building burning beyond fire crews' efforts to quench the blaze. Buzz, promoted to captain rank not days before – his responsibilities increased, his attentions divided, and his heart getting the better of him – gave the okay for the youngster to go after her despite the obvious danger. Fresh out of training and unable to discern a badly motivated order, the girl dashed in, disappearing behind a wall of flames and smoke.

Neither she nor the woman made it out again. In the middle of Buzz comming his younger comrade desperately for a status report, the building collapsed, crushing rescuer and victim under several tons of scorching, enviro-suit-melting materials while everyone outside, without any tech sufficient to provide aid, watched in helpless horror. Screams rang over the crunching, shearing crash of metal and timber. The sudden onrush of blazing air stinging his skin and evaporating the moisture from his eyes, Buzz fell to his knees and took his anguish out on the ground, his captain's emblem weighing heavily on his chest amidst the static cutting over his comm-link.

Then, out of nowhere, the right hook slammed into his chin. Pain exploded through his jaw, and Buzz, dazed, next recognized the sensation of lying on his side in the dirt. But he received no chance to recover; with an expression somewhere between thunderous and murderous, Warp lifted Buzz by the collar of his suit and eviscerated him verbally before the crowd.

"…THE STUPID OLD BINT DESERVED TO BURN AND DIE ALONE!" Warp roared, firelight glinting off his sharp eye-teeth. "Anything is better than letting a promising young Ranger die in vain for someone else's DUMB CHOICE and her own captain's sentimental IDIOCY! Her blood is on YOUR HANDS, BUZZ! YOURS!"

Around them, bystanders gasped, and Buzz, pushed to his breaking point, lashed out.

"YOU DON'T THINK I KNOW? I'M THE ONE WHO GAVE THE BLASTED ORDER!" Buzz shoved his way out of Warp's grip, but then, ignoring his better judgment, he stepped once more into his partner's space. "But I guess that's not what this is really about, is it? No, everything always points back to you and your issues, Warp Darkmatter! So, what, for stars' sakes, is worth yourself shut up tighter than a Bathyosian clam about what happened before the Academy? What happened to your mother and brother, Warp, and why can't you let it out? You don't have to let their deaths haunt you forever or let them weigh on you alone, and you certainly don't need to take your damage out on the one person who's HONESTLY TRYING TO HELP YOU AND BE YOUR FRIEND! I'm always here to help if you'd let me, if you'd just get the frag over yourself, but noooo. Craters, it's like you want to remain alone and unloved in the universe even though everything you do is a cry for help; and stars forbid anyone should try actually helping you, because HOW DARE THEY, RIGHT?"

Buzz never remembered who attacked first. Only, in the middle of a flurry of fists, he recalled only Warp's answer:

"I DON'T WANT YOUR HELP, LIGHTYEAR!"

Before either harmed the other seriously, the other Rangers on duty broke Warp and Buzz apart, and they stayed apart during the return to Star Command and the two weeks of R&R that followed. For his part, Buzz wrestled with both his conscience and his overflowing anger through those two weeks, his volatile mood causing even Dr. Animus to not psychoanalyze his patient a nanosecond longer than necessary. Fortunately, the better part of Buzz won out through sheer moral brawn, and he emerged from the struggle kicking himself over his complete failure to handle not merely the situation on Gibbous II, but himself. Working up his courage, he sought out Warp and apologized with every ounce of contrite sincerity he could muster, though he had no idea if his partner would forgive him, nor did he expect any grace for how badly he crossed the line.

After a loaded pause, Warp said, "Eh, I wouldn't worry about it. You just made captain, what, a few days before that fire? An' the Gibbousians weren't so ass-backwards, we probably wouldn't'a had a problem in the first place. Anyone new to the responsibility in the middle of a situation like that would'a made the same mistake, and I don't blame you for snapping under the guilt. Even Star Command's finest has his limits, and nothing's gonna change what happened anyway, so let's just move on, alright?"

Thankful, and not wanting to start another quarrel, Buzz kept his complaints to himself. On the bright side, he thought, his partner deigned to forgive him enough to at least talk to him again and make some attempt to ease his mind. While not a giant step forward, the gesture started them going in the right direction nonetheless.

At least, Buzz thought so.

If only hindsight alone weren't twenty-twenty… If only he handled things differently on Gibbous, or starting from the Academy, or saw the motives behind Warp's outwardly forgiving charade that day… Too many "if only" wishes than he could count – would if the "if only" sentiment itself bought the bread.

Another song began playing in Buzz's ear, but he no longer paid his tunes any attention.

When all considered, the many, precious bits of the Lightyear-Darkmatter relationship split each instance of seeing the goodness still within Agent Z into two things for Buzz: worth the struggle, and some of the most painful moments he endured through his entire life. The optimistic "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command to the Rescue" part of him clung to the hope of a bright future, but the other part, the world-savvy, not-larger-than-life Ranger who knew no one survived through pure hope and, indeed, reached their limits sooner or later, looked on that conviction with growing cynicism. Some days, like today, Buzz felt more defeated than hopeful, like his and Agent Z's encounters taught him nothing of use to keep them from repeating their past mistakes. More: His energy reserves dipped dangerously near bone-dry, and all the while, Warp took everything in stride, not considering his former partner's feelings worth more time than the span of a temporary truce.

The single sad, but no less true fact Buzz could count on between Warp and himself was that, ruminations and suppositions aside, he couldn't count on Warp at all. Not anymore, and maybe not ever.

Yet... Yet, Star Command's greatest hero resolved to continue risking himself and the values he held dear to have Warp by his side one more day, even if that meant Buzz would watch his own pride be destroyed over and over again.

Sometimes lost. Sometimes found. Buzz struggled day by day, moment by moment, to well and truly pin down the state of his best friend's heart and soul. Nonetheless, they both continued appearing from light and shadow to stand before one another. Together, even if it meant another day of pain and fighting tooth and nail, they were still here, still with a chance.

Somehow, right now, that mattered enough to Buzz.

Somehow.

Maybe…

A knock at his door startled Buzz out of his thoughts.

"It's open," he said when his heart-rate slowed, and he sat up in his bunk while switching the music off.

The door opened, and a familiar, tanned, careworn face stared at Buzz from beyond the threshold.

"Ty!" Buzz swung his legs over the side of his bunk and stood, giving his old friend a wave. "Hey! I didn't expect to see you here. How are you?"

"Hey, Buzz. I'm doing alright. To be fair, I didn't expect to be here either until a few minutes ago. You mind if I come in?" Ty held up two cups of steaming coffee. "I'd wave, but I doubt either of us would appreciate the mess."

"Sure – I mean, no, I don't mind. Make yourself at home."

Ty stepped inside, and the door shut quietly behind him.

"What's going on?" Buzz asked.

"Nothing much on my end, but that's not why I'm here." Ty sat one cup down by the terminal, and then he gave his friend a querying look. "You doing alright tonight, Buzz?"

"Uh… I'm fine. Why do you ask? Is something wrong?"

"Well, to cut a long story short and get to brass tacks, I ran into Booster and XR in the cafeteria, and they told me about what happened on Tradeworld today." Ty held out the cup remaining in his grip. "You wanna talk about it?"

"I…" Buzz stopped himself short, certain parts of his previous introspections returning to him. Then, taking the offered cup without further hesitation, he blew away some of the steam and took a grateful swig, savoring the milky, creamy, bittersweet taste. "Ah, that's a good cup o' joe. Thanks a lot, Ty; I needed the pick-me-up. The chair by the terminal good enough for you?"

"Glad to help; and anything's a throne compared to the cafeteria's bench seats."

The coffee ran out long before Buzz finished reiterating his struggles, and surrounded by the following silence, the two Rangers sat contemplating the information floating between them.

"Hmm… That's rough. No wonder your team's upset." Ty examined the inside of his cup before looking at Buzz again. "I wish I could give you an easy answer, Buzz, but Warp's always been a creature unto himself. I think the only being in the entire Galactic Alliance he never held himself back from was Mrs. Wilde. Sweet old cat – I'm not ashamed to say I shed some tears when we got back from class that day and saw she'd passed. Rocket did, too, when you guys weren't looking, and he's a die-hard dog guy."

"Mrs. Wilde was a queen among kitties, without doubt. I think that was the saddest night the four of us shared together in the Academy." Buzz sighed. "Honestly, after she died, I always hoped that would motivate Warp into opening up about what happened with his folks, but…"

"Yeah... To be honest, Buzz, you trying so hard to pry into Warp's personal business never sat quite right with me. Where I come from, we were raised to respect someone's silence on a topic, and I always got the sense he never really appreciated it anyway. There are things some people won't ever comfortable talking about – it took a while before I could even hear the word 'wirewolf' without the fight-or-flight adrenaline rush hitting me like a meteorite. And the nightmares…" Ty shook his head. "Still, I admit I never gelled with Warp like you did, and whether you should've pushed or not, I know your heart was in the right place at least. No one can ever fault you for that."

Buzz shook his head, too. "If only that had been enough, and if only all the things anyone could fault me over never happened. If I got the chance, I can't even count how many things I would do differently."

"Well, they say hindsight's twenty-twenty. Pity foresight isn't the same."

"You know, I had that same thought earlier. Great minds think alike."

"Thanks. Though," Ty set his cup aside, "it also wouldn't be a bad idea to consider the possibility that Warp would have double-crossed you no matter how many do-overs the universe or any higher power gave you. After everything that's gone down, you can't look me in the eye say it's out of the question, or even really that improbable."

"I… No, but… It's… I-I…" Buzz sent his friend a look of entreaty. "What about 'evil never wins', Ty? Star Command and the Galactic Alliance wouldn't exist if that weren't true, and I – and you, too – never would've made it this far as a Ranger. I mean, between you and me, the fact we're both here having this conversation is testament to 'evil never wins'. Right?"

Sighing, Ty said, "Well, the wirewolf and N0S-4-A2 are gone, and they didn't leave behind any damage that couldn't heal, so I'm definitely not saying 'no'…" After a moment, he shrugged. "For whatever reasons, Buzz, some people are set in stone before their chances to choose another path, and sometimes destiny and higher powers won't be denied, not even by the best of us or the best of our ideals. Whenever you grew mature enough to make your choice, can you say you were any more malleable or your frame of destiny was any different when it came to fighting the good fight?"

"I… No."

"Exactly. The being said, for better or worse, even the great Buzz Lightyear of Star Command can't win all the time." Ty cocked a brow, a half-smile playing on his lips. "If that wasn't true, I know I'd call up the universe's HR department and make a very loud and cranky demand to see the manager."

Buzz stopped rolling his lips inward and chuckled.

"You mean you didn't do that any time before the wirewolf episode?" he asked, smirking teasingly.

"Oh, I sent a few long-winded tirades into the ether, but I got used to the universe's generic hold music after a while." Ty looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "You know, I don't think I ever said it in so many words, Buzz, but now that enough time's passed and I've thought about things for a while, I… I'm actually kind of grateful things happened the way they did."

Buzz blinked.

Ty continued, "I mean, I didn't enjoy turning into the wirewolf or being enslaved to that self-absorbed energy vampire, and if things didn't turn out okay in the end, I don't think I'd be saying this, but… When the smoke cleared, I, and you, and everyone, got to see what I'm really made of. I hit my life's lowest points on Canis Lunis and Planet Z, and from there, I grew to be the strong, competent Ranger I always dreamed about being. I even got to save you for once, and," Ty's smile broadened, "despite all our faults and the years of strain on our relationship, it turned out you and I still really cared about each other."

"For once, you didn't have to suffer through the hold music."

"Right; and I can tell you right now it was more than worth the wait. Most of our comrades wouldn't believe it, but I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, I wouldn't do a single thing over if I got the chance. Not one. Not ever. If things happened differently, who knows if we'd even be sitting here now as either better friends or just better people? I might still be off stewing on some backwater planet and hoping I'd never have to see you again."

"If it makes you feel any better, I can't say I blame you, and I appreciate the honesty."

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry for how I handled things for so long, and you're welcome. It feels absolutely fantastic to finally go without drinking the poison and hoping you died from it instead." Ty paused. "Maybe… Maybe your relationship with Warp will play out how yours and mine did – minus the whole technological horror thing. Maybe the universe or the higher powers haven't shut down 'evil never wins'; they've just put it on hold for a while, waiting for the right moment."

"And things will be more than worth the wait in their own, best time." Buzz laughed again, this time in relief. "Ty, that… Holy Nova, that is the best thing I've heard all day, bar none."

"The great thing about hope is it springs eternal, even when faith and charity are running dry. I wouldn't stake my life or reputation on Warp coming through, and I'd be careful about 'evil never wins', too, but so long as you're both here, no one can say it's over. Not even him. Not yet, and maybe never."

Ty rose from the chair and moved to sit beside Buzz, one hand alighting on Buzz's shoulder.

"That being said, Buzz, no matter what happens from this point, whether Warp makes the right choice or not, I'm here to stay, and I've got your back. If you need to hang and talk or just have another cup of coffee, I promise I will make time for you regardless of whatever else I'm doing. We could even go on a mission together just like old times, if Nebula's alright with the idea. Regardless, whatever you choose to do, I know right here," Ty placed his free fist over his chest, "if anyone in infinity and beyond can get through to Warp and save him from himself, it's his best friend, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.

"Whether you win or lose, Buzz," Ty patted Buzz's shoulder, "I believe in you. You can count on it."

"...Ty… Man, I warn you, if you keep talking like that, I'm moving straight from choked up to crying like a baby." Wiping his eyes, he then said with a soft voice, "Thank you, Ty. I'd say you had no idea how much I needed this talk, but… Thank you. Just thank you."

"Anytime, old friend. And I wouldn't worry too much about Mira; she's a tough cookie, and she's mature enough to let her anger go sooner rather than later. She learned from the best, after all. To be honest, I'd be much more concerned if she held things in and didn't vent. She should've chosen a much less risky and offensive way of going about it, but things're out now, and nobody innocent got hurt, so there's a couple of things to be thankful for, if nothing else."

"Yeah. No point holding it against her; she's a fantastic Ranger, and I know she'll make the right choice next time." A thought struck Buzz, and he smiled. "Say, did you have a bite to eat before you brought me the coffee?"

"I had a snack earlier, but I could stand to have something with a bit more substance now." Ty grinned. "You wanna hit up Cosmo's for some cosmic chili?"

"You read my mind, buddy." Buzz stood with Ty, and right before they stepped outside, the former challenged, "Race you to 42, loser tries tonight's Mystery Special?"

"You know what? Why not?" Ty's grin took on a wolfish quality. "Call it newfound confidence or experience from lunchtime at the Academy, but tonight, old buddy, I aim to live dangerously."

"Heh. So do I, old friend. So do I."