Mission Five: Conclusion

[voidtreckermods]

The Voidtreckers turn the tide, save the day. That isn't to say it is easy or straightforward, the battles are tough but together Red Team prevents the mega weapon getting through, orange team maintain shields, blue team fend off those trying to attack the command centre and purple fight the battle of their lives.

The system is safe and everyone who hasn't already evacuated back to the train using their SCA can gather on the space station again. There is a roar of noise as the Void Trecker Express appears in the hanger once more, noise and wind rushing through their hair it is no mystery why the army here reacted in shock at their initial arrival.

Hitrinto is there, as are many of those the void treckers have met in their week in this system. Here to thank them for their timely rescue and to wave them off.

The voidtreckers as well are reunited, the four teams back as one and it is time to re-board the Voidtrecker Express and move on to the next adventure!

Comments

On Train: CW: Joss' Death: Closed to Waver and Tony's friends

[runs_on_batteries]

Bucky had vanished while sitting right next to him on a two person ship. Maglor and Maedhros both had disappeared on this trip. Romeo and his precious Buttercup had gone missing. Ignis was gone. Ignis! And Joss..

He'd been so close to having a son. No, Joss had already become a son to him. It just hadn't reached the technical or legal levels yet, but the love had been there for a while now. The boy was such a complex creature being both ancient and so naive and childlike. How had they gone from insulting words that very first day to the familial relationship they had now? Had. Past tense. His son was dead.

He'd been treated briefly in the medical room and came back to his room to freshen up. Now he sat in his lounge pants and a robe draped on his shoulders on his bed, head in hand. The teddy bear he'd bought Buttercup in his lap, his other hand holding it.

Edge was right. It was a selfish desire for Tony to want to do the ultimate sacrifice in place of anyone else on this train. A part of him understood the ninja's resentment towards it, but he also believed it was his youth that was making it hard to understand fully. The truth was, once you were dead, you didn't hurt anymore. It's the ones you leave behind who have to grieve and he'd already grieved so much in his life. Now he got to add a son to that list and it was more than he could bear. Would he see Ignis again or just his shadow leaving on the next platform? He didn't know and wouldn't until it was too late.

[happyends]

The end of this mission was just awful. People got hurt. Someone actually died. People are disappearing left and right. People she knows and likes - without being able to know for sure whether they'll be back or not. Even Ignis. Especially Ignis. Her papa.

It made her half expect - fear - that Tony would also suddenly be gone by the time the teams would reunite. Thankfully he's still there, but when she sees him sitting there like that in his room, it makes her stomach tie up in knots in a different way entirely. He looks very much the way she is feeling right now, if not even worse.

For the tiniest moment she wonders if maybe she should leave him alone, if she might not just make it worse, but then Madoka quickly shakes her head. No matter how bad she feels herself, she should at least try. Nothing is worse than the thought of her dad feeling miserable all by himself.

So the girl slowly enters the room, making her way over to him until she's close enough to put her hand on top of his hand that's holding the bear.

"Dad.."

[runs_on_batteries]

He was so deeply lost in his thoughts, that he didn't know anyone was there till he felt something light on his hand. Even before he straightened and blinked the tears away, he knew who it was. Her voice helped, but Madoka had a presence to her too. He tried to smile for her, but it didn't work very well.

"Mady." He turned his hand over so he could hold her tiny hand. "How's my girl?"

[happyends]

She probably should have seen that question coming, yet at the same time she doesn't know how to answer it at all. Sure, she knows what the answer is, but Tony already looks like he's carrying the weight of the world all by himself right now. He has to be missing Ignis too, and more. How could she dare to add her own misery to that?

But she doesn't want to lie either. Especially not to her dad. So after pausing for a moment, she instead opts to avoid the question entirely by giving an indirect answer that's actually true: "I'm.. glad to see you."

Madoka sucks in a deep breath, trying her hardest to keep herself from crying or looking too sad. Maybe if she just focuses on him being here, on the warmth of his hand around hers. Maybe if she doesn't let her thoughts wander to all the ways things could get worse.

".. Um.. You know, dad, it's okay if you have to cry.." Don't think she didn't notice him blinking away those tears a moment ago! She squeezes his hand and tries her darnest to smile. "I know you can't do that with papa right now, but.. I'm here."

[runs_on_batteries]

Her answer is enough to get just the sliver of a smile out of him. "I'm glad to see you too, sweetheart." Even if everything else felt nothing but wrong, Madoka was a tiny beam of light. She also was a good reminder of everyone who needed him on this train. Although perhaps none more than the girl herself.

When she mentions tears, it's hard to hold them back. "Same with you too. I already know you're strong, so you don't have anything to prove to me." His voice cracked as he spoke and by the end, there were a tear or two falling. "What kind of heartless place is this that keeps taking people away? I'd thought I'd found a pattern that the less involved someone was the more likely they would be sent home. But Ignis? He was involved in everything. I know he was doing important things with your team. I don't understand it."

[hashtagparkerluck]

Peter isn't taking the loss well. He hasn't seen Thor, or Loki, or Bucky, or Buttercup and he's just feeling the weight of the Parker curse more intensely than ever. He also feels like it's somehow his fault-his fault for daring to get close to people when he knows what happens when he does. His fault because he should have been pushier about getting some other form of communication device made. Maybe if they'd had that then maybe they wouldn't be missing so many damn people. He's almost afraid to check given all the people he hasn't seen come back to the train but he goes to Tony's door and knocks hesitantly.

"Uh... M-Mr Stark? A-are you in there?" He asks, barely holding onto his emotions and fearing the worst.

[runs_on_batteries]

"Come in," he called, though his voice was thick with emotion. He didn't pay attention to who was wanting him, but when he saw it was Peter he breathed with relief. At least Peter was alive and still there. He had to be grateful for that.

He used the sleeve of his robe to wipe his face and then scooted over on the bed to give him room. "Rough mission," he remarked, trying and failing to sound less destroyed by it than he was.

[hashtagparkerluck]

Peter lets out the breath he hadn't realized he'd trapped until he hears Tony's voice. Relief spreads like a thick wave though he's still heart broken about all the others. The door open and he moves over to Tony, just curling up and latching onto him like he has no intention to ever let go.

"I'm so glad you're still here." He mumbles, unable to stop the tears from cascading down his cheeks. "Why does everyone keep leaving? What did I do?" He sobs against his mentor. Because of course it's his fault. His fault he didn't try to do more-his fault he got complacent and decided to ignore those stupid dreams. His fault he's such a curse on everyone's life. He really only ever cries like this on his Aunt because she knows just how messed up his life really is and how much weight he really carries with him over each loss and how much the Parker curse just takes and takes.

[runs_on_batteries]

Tony automatically put an arm around Peter, wishing he could take some of the kid's pain away. He couldn't though. There wasn't anything he could do about it either.

"You?" He was surprised when Peter was turning it on himself. "Peter.. it's not just you. Ignis is gone. Joss is gone. These are my people, not yours." Although he did know they meant something probably to the kid too. "It's this fucked up place."

[littlefury]

Waver seemed...out of it, when he finally got back to the room. When the worst happened as it had a time or two back home, he'd found he had a tendency to just...shut down once he'd gone beyond the point of panic. It was in that weird state of shellshock that he walked in, as quiet as possible before sitting on his own bed. He didn't know what had transpired, but being in the medbay and now feeling the atmosphere of the train itself was enough.

...God, he wished Lancer was here. He'd know what to do, or at least what to say to get him to snap out of this.

"...you okay?"

[runs_on_batteries]

Tony hadn't looked up when Waver came in, but finally did when he heard the question. He looked and felt about ten years older than he really was and so broken. He shook his head.

"Buttercup and Ignis are gone." He took a shaky breath. "Joss.. we lost Joss." There were others missing but he didn't know who all Wavery had met so far.

[littlefury]

"Wh-"

This kind of thing was what happened when he stuck to the infirmary.

"What do you mean, gone? What happened out there?"

[runs_on_batteries]

It took a few moments before he could meet Waver's gaze. How many people would he have to lose? How many times did he have to deal with this kind of hurt?

"I don't know. I don't know why this train makes people disappear. I've tried but I can't find a way to stop it!" The last sentence was more of a growl than anything. He wanted to throw something or punch the wall, but he couldn't find the energy. "We've never had a casualty of one of our people before this mission and of course, it's one of the damn kids."

Early Hours The Next Day

[callmegladio]

He shouldn't really have been out of bed, but he'd heard about what happened and he was damned if he could just lay in bed and do nothing.

Sneaking past Prompto had been the hardest part. He'd had to wait until the blonde was well and truly asleep. The exhaustion of the battle and the stress of everything else had soon taken it's toll though. Prompto had fell into a deep sleep and only then was Gladio able to slip out from under his watchful gaze.

He pulled on pants as awkwardly as a guy with one working arm could, and made his way toward Tony's cabin. He wasn't 100% yet but it was only occasionally that he would have to reach out and grab at a wall to steady himself. Gladio blamed the painkillers, they made his head fuzzy and unfocused. Still, he knew enough to know this is where he needed to be going.

It was only once he reached the door did he realise what a mistake he'd made. Tony could have been asleep. His cabin mates would be asleep. It was the middle of the night and most everyone was asleep. What the hell was he thinking? Still... he knocked. Someone opened the door. Tony was not there and kindly go away. That was fair. Gladio apologised and went on his merry way.

It was as he was walking past the quiet rooms when he heard a sound in one of the rooms. Gladio stopped and looked at the room, he recognised the room for some reason. It clicked. Tony's room. He moved closer to listen more. A clink? Okay, someone was in there. He knocked and wondered if he would be told to go away again. If it happened a second time he'd take himself back to Prompto.

[runs_on_batteries]

He doesn't answer at first, finding the very effort of speaking an annoyance. However, there was a small part of him that hoped it was Ignis or someone with news of Ignis. That alone was what made him speak up. "Come in."

Inside, Tony's sitting with his back against the wall and resting long ways on the bench seat. He was wearing his sweat pants and a robe and had a bottle open on the table next to him. The tumbler he was drinking from was mostly empty but there was a strong scent of whiskey in the room.

His gaze shifted to Gladio's face before he looked down at his glass. He reaches for the bottle and almost knocks it over as his coordination is impaired. "Don't just stand there, glasses are in that box over there."

[callmegladio]

Gladio blinked Tony into focus, could smell the alcohol heavy in the air, then he was issued an order. He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him before walking to the box indicated to grab a glass. Did he think about whether it was a good thing to grab a glass? No he did not. He just did it... then paused with it in his hand and cast a narrow look at the chair. He missed having two arms...

He hooked the chair with his foot and pulled it across so that he could sit beside Tony and dropped down into it.

A quick look around and he found the bottle of whiskey so grabbed it and poured himself a healthy amount, and then added to Tony's almost empty glass. The bottle was set down at his own feet before he settled back and took a good drink of the whiskey. It burned on the way down but it was a good burn. It wasn't his usual beer but it was good enough.

[marriedanidiot]

"Tony?"

She comes to him in the evening, when the others are asleep, her own eyes red with weeping.

"Oh Tony... come here." She opens her arms to him.

[runs_on_batteries]

Tony looked up when he heard her voice. He hadn't paid attention to the door opening, figuring it would be Waver. But no, he was in the room that was normally so congested but now eerily empty.

He lifted his gaze to see his best friend's wife and pushed himself to his feet. He swayed slightly, but managed to stagger over to her. Holding her tightly, he felt so empty and frail. "They're gone... you boys, Ignis.. Joss.. others even.. they're gone."

[marriedanidiot]

"Sssh." She draws him into her arms and runs soothing fingers through his hair. Her voice stays level, despite the tears in her eyes.

"Yes. They're gone, and we remain."

[stealsyourheart]

"Tony-san? What's wrong? Did something happen?"

[runs_on_batteries]

He left his room at some point and gone to his office. He was tucked in the bench seat long ways, his back against the wall. There was an open bottle and a tumbler in his hand as he looked up at Kaito. He'd thought he'd locked that door, but he hadn't. It was okay, truth be told. Kaito was certainly someone he wouldn't turn away even in this condition.

"Everything is wrong," he lamented. "Ignis, Joss, Buttercup.. they're all gone. I have a box.. Joss' ashes." It was the only thing they could find that would serve as an urn.

[stealsyourheart]

"Ah man..." He frowns - he hadn't heard that anyone had died.

"Ah, Tony-san.... I'm sorry man."

Curufin is a friend of Tony's!

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin was looking a little wild, his black hair tangled on his shoulders, his eyes shadowy from having invoked the darkest of his powers in the battle he had fought with Red Team to keep the mega-weapon from being deployed. His left forearm was bandaged.

He was still dealing with his losses -- his brothers Maedhros and Maglor, and with the sorrow of his parents. He did not yet know that Joss and Ignis were gone, nor Romeo and Little One, nor Taiki. He had not known Bucky, and had not yet noticed his absence.

He was just starting to check up on friends, and he knocked on Tony's door. "Tony? Are you in there?"

Definitely!

[runs_on_batteries]

The door wasn't locked and opened. Someone hadn't closed it all the way. It took a few extra moments, but Tony finally found his voice. "Yes, unfortunately."

He set the bear with a red hoodie on the table between the beds and sighed. Looking up at the door, he saw his friend and tried to give him a smile but he just couldn't. His eyes were red and he looked and felt like he'd gained ten years.

"I'm sorry," he managed, knowing who the elf was grieving. "I don't understand why we lost so many."

\o/

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin poked his head in, saw Tony sitting there with one of the bears in his lap, and as Curufin came in, Tony set the red-hoodied bear on the table.

Curufin gave him a kindly look.

"I haven't yet collected all the information. Who is missing or dead?"