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shadowknight2008-03-18 05:36 pm
sl_walker) wrote in shadowknight2008-03-18 05:36 pm
Entry tags:
Fic - There, Then Gone
Title: There, Then Gone
Rating: PG
Universe: Home
Timeline: March 30th, 2006
Written: March 30th, 2006
Summary: Mike stands witness to the end of an era and reflects.
The signs of new life were all around; early flowers in patches, the grass becoming green again, the air filled with the birds who'd left for the long Midwestern winter. The sun was bright, and the sky didn't seem quite as far away as it had. It was, though cliche, a time for rebirth.
Mike supposed that this was just another part of it. But it didn't feel like a rebirth; only like a death.
He leaned against the driver's side door of the midnight metallic blue Stingray, arms crossed, and regarded the Gizmonics building and the demolition workers scurrying around. The last time he had been here, and had looked at the big structure, he had been standing with Joel and watching it through the falling snow. In truth, that felt more apt to him than this cheerful day. Long since abandoned, through the snow the building had looked like the ghost it was only a short time away from becoming.
It had been apt, too, that they had been together when they came back here.
Joel should be here now. So should Clay and Frank, for that matter. Any one of those three were better representatives to watch the end of an era than Mike was, but since they were still gone, he was the only one who could.
The other remaining ShadowKnights were still at home in Westchester. He wasn't sure how they felt about him taking off to be here without them, but he hoped that they understood why, if Joel and Clay and Frank couldn't be here, he had to be here by himself. He tried to stay closer to them now -- he made it a point to spend as much time as he could talking with Rick and Nance, or training with them, or just hanging out together in the kitchen drinking that tea that Nan-Cy was so addicted to. But this was different.
He hoped that they got that, and could forgive him for it.
Hoped, too, that when this was over with he could go back home and maybe feel okay.
He shifted his weight, still leaning against the Stingray. He didn't think Joel would really mind him borrowing it -- he was about as obsessively protective of the Corvette as its owner. But it seemed fitting to take this car, just as it had seemed fitting to stop in the restaurant Joel's Mom had worked in decades before. A salute, in a way; he could never have the chance to meet her, but since he and Joel had essentially adopted one another, it was proper to go there, drink coffee and tip big. It was an offhanded salute to Joel, as well, and the mornings where they'd decide to hop in the car and run to grab breakfast in Salem Center.
It had been hard to remind himself not to look over and see if Joel was there with him. It was a constant thing Mike had to keep in mind, now -- looking for those you miss will just drive home, every single time, how much it hurts that they aren't there.
He still slipped sometimes, though.
The drive from New York had been pleasant enough despite that. It had been a meandering trip, as well; this was the first time in years where Mike officially had requested a vacation, and he had decided to make the most use of it. He had already stopped in Deerfield to talk with Kitty's parents, and was amazed at how calmly they were taking their daughter's disappearance. But, really, it wouldn't be the first time that the Prydes had to deal with the difficulties that Kitty's lifestyle lead to.
He sighed, rubbing at his eyes a little. He wished he could be as steady as they were -- Theresa was still planning the wedding, as though she expected Kitty to reappear at any moment. Mike couldn't bring himself to do the same. All he could do was feel that it was desperately damned unfair that he finally got the courage up to propose, only to have the woman he was supposed to marry vanish.
That it was desperately damned unfair that she wasn't there to snuggle on the couch with, or ruffle his hair as she went to get her coffee in the morning, or steal a kiss goodnight from.
Across the way, everyone had moved out of range of the Gizmonics building. Mike was further out still, unwilling to risk getting the Stingray anywhere closer. It wouldn't be long now, though.
Absently, he wondered if Deep 13 would survive. It wasn't likely... and even if it did, it would never see another living being again. When they had been there, after the pirate broadcasting incident last November, it had been the last time life walked the old floors. Clay and Frank would probably take this a little hard -- they were still very fond of this place, even after all of these years.
Mike wasn't -- where they were fond of it, he still disliked it. It wasn't a totally rational feeling; he had long since forgiven Clay and Frank for shooting him into space, and he had long since come to the conclusion that what happened was exactly what was meant to happen. But still, he harbored those old feelings towards the building and the lab under it.
He had never been able to figure out how you could really dislike something, and still feel sick and sad at the idea of it being gone.
There would likely be another building put here, in time. Someone would build and aside from a few people left, no one would ever guess all that had happened here... all that had happened because of this place.
All of the lives that had changed... some for the better, some for the worst.
The timed explosions went off, and the old G-shaped building came down. At first slowly, as though it was trying to hold its shape for one more moment in time, then quickly as it gave under its own weight. Within less than a minute, it was just a pile of steel and concrete, and a cloud of ash colored dust rising up.
Just that quick. There, then gone.
Once, many years ago, a janitor had cleaned those halls, and ended up crossing a lunatic scientist. Once, many years ago, a fast food worker applied for a job and landed there. Once, many years ago, a temp had made the mistake of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, those people were a part of a family.
Maybe, in that sense, Mike could understand why seeing it all crumble to the ground was sad. And why he was willing to drive here, leaving behind home and what was left of that family, to stand witness.
He waited a moment longer. For Joel. For Clay. For Frank.
For himself.
And after the dust had settled, he got into the Stingray and pointed the nose for home.
Rating: PG
Universe: Home
Timeline: March 30th, 2006
Written: March 30th, 2006
Summary: Mike stands witness to the end of an era and reflects.
The signs of new life were all around; early flowers in patches, the grass becoming green again, the air filled with the birds who'd left for the long Midwestern winter. The sun was bright, and the sky didn't seem quite as far away as it had. It was, though cliche, a time for rebirth.
Mike supposed that this was just another part of it. But it didn't feel like a rebirth; only like a death.
He leaned against the driver's side door of the midnight metallic blue Stingray, arms crossed, and regarded the Gizmonics building and the demolition workers scurrying around. The last time he had been here, and had looked at the big structure, he had been standing with Joel and watching it through the falling snow. In truth, that felt more apt to him than this cheerful day. Long since abandoned, through the snow the building had looked like the ghost it was only a short time away from becoming.
It had been apt, too, that they had been together when they came back here.
Joel should be here now. So should Clay and Frank, for that matter. Any one of those three were better representatives to watch the end of an era than Mike was, but since they were still gone, he was the only one who could.
The other remaining ShadowKnights were still at home in Westchester. He wasn't sure how they felt about him taking off to be here without them, but he hoped that they understood why, if Joel and Clay and Frank couldn't be here, he had to be here by himself. He tried to stay closer to them now -- he made it a point to spend as much time as he could talking with Rick and Nance, or training with them, or just hanging out together in the kitchen drinking that tea that Nan-Cy was so addicted to. But this was different.
He hoped that they got that, and could forgive him for it.
Hoped, too, that when this was over with he could go back home and maybe feel okay.
He shifted his weight, still leaning against the Stingray. He didn't think Joel would really mind him borrowing it -- he was about as obsessively protective of the Corvette as its owner. But it seemed fitting to take this car, just as it had seemed fitting to stop in the restaurant Joel's Mom had worked in decades before. A salute, in a way; he could never have the chance to meet her, but since he and Joel had essentially adopted one another, it was proper to go there, drink coffee and tip big. It was an offhanded salute to Joel, as well, and the mornings where they'd decide to hop in the car and run to grab breakfast in Salem Center.
It had been hard to remind himself not to look over and see if Joel was there with him. It was a constant thing Mike had to keep in mind, now -- looking for those you miss will just drive home, every single time, how much it hurts that they aren't there.
He still slipped sometimes, though.
The drive from New York had been pleasant enough despite that. It had been a meandering trip, as well; this was the first time in years where Mike officially had requested a vacation, and he had decided to make the most use of it. He had already stopped in Deerfield to talk with Kitty's parents, and was amazed at how calmly they were taking their daughter's disappearance. But, really, it wouldn't be the first time that the Prydes had to deal with the difficulties that Kitty's lifestyle lead to.
He sighed, rubbing at his eyes a little. He wished he could be as steady as they were -- Theresa was still planning the wedding, as though she expected Kitty to reappear at any moment. Mike couldn't bring himself to do the same. All he could do was feel that it was desperately damned unfair that he finally got the courage up to propose, only to have the woman he was supposed to marry vanish.
That it was desperately damned unfair that she wasn't there to snuggle on the couch with, or ruffle his hair as she went to get her coffee in the morning, or steal a kiss goodnight from.
Across the way, everyone had moved out of range of the Gizmonics building. Mike was further out still, unwilling to risk getting the Stingray anywhere closer. It wouldn't be long now, though.
Absently, he wondered if Deep 13 would survive. It wasn't likely... and even if it did, it would never see another living being again. When they had been there, after the pirate broadcasting incident last November, it had been the last time life walked the old floors. Clay and Frank would probably take this a little hard -- they were still very fond of this place, even after all of these years.
Mike wasn't -- where they were fond of it, he still disliked it. It wasn't a totally rational feeling; he had long since forgiven Clay and Frank for shooting him into space, and he had long since come to the conclusion that what happened was exactly what was meant to happen. But still, he harbored those old feelings towards the building and the lab under it.
He had never been able to figure out how you could really dislike something, and still feel sick and sad at the idea of it being gone.
There would likely be another building put here, in time. Someone would build and aside from a few people left, no one would ever guess all that had happened here... all that had happened because of this place.
All of the lives that had changed... some for the better, some for the worst.
The timed explosions went off, and the old G-shaped building came down. At first slowly, as though it was trying to hold its shape for one more moment in time, then quickly as it gave under its own weight. Within less than a minute, it was just a pile of steel and concrete, and a cloud of ash colored dust rising up.
Just that quick. There, then gone.
Once, many years ago, a janitor had cleaned those halls, and ended up crossing a lunatic scientist. Once, many years ago, a fast food worker applied for a job and landed there. Once, many years ago, a temp had made the mistake of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, those people were a part of a family.
Maybe, in that sense, Mike could understand why seeing it all crumble to the ground was sad. And why he was willing to drive here, leaving behind home and what was left of that family, to stand witness.
He waited a moment longer. For Joel. For Clay. For Frank.
For himself.
And after the dust had settled, he got into the Stingray and pointed the nose for home.