literature

Still Here - Ch 3

Deviation Actions

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Date: December 31st 2011


Location: CHROME Headquarters – Lobby


The party was in full swing, small groups of cars gathered in respective corners, with some milling around the ‘dancefloor’, which was basically wooden panelling put together, others were actually dancing and laughing, a large noise of chatter in the air. The music was at a decent volume, enough to carry atmosphere, but not so that you were deafened in the process, which allowed for easy conversation, but also a great distraction. Shadow was bristling with excitement, having not been allowed to one of these exclusive parties until she had graduated, and given her past, she had hardly dared to ask for a birthday party. The Celica had indeed managed to drag her new reluctant friend with her, whom was sat in the corner pouting a little as she glowered at anyone that came near.

“Wren, lighten up… You look like you’ve swallowed a wasp!” Shadow mocked lightly, referring to Wren’s earlier joke a few days ago.

“Ha. Haha. You’re funny.” Wren scowled a little, looking away to the wall. Shadow seemed to smirk a little, before she decided to make her way round the room. Everyone was aware of what family she was from, though due to being either in training or hospital, the Toyota had not yet had a chance to bond with anyone other than Finn and Wren, whom of course was forced into it for fear of her biscuits. Finn was also there, though he was speaking rather quietly with some other older agents, so Shadow decided to refrain from intruding. She scanned the room, looking for her first easy interaction… it couldn’t be that hard, right? Shadow had vaguely known some of the other recruits that she had graduated with, seeing a small group now, along with what she guessed to be their experienced partners. She rolled over slowly, a smile on her face.

“Hey guys… Great party right?” Shadow motioned to the room. They had all stopped talking when she approached, looking to one another in concern slightly.

“Yeah… it’s pretty average actually” A female Citreon answered, looking to her with a bored expression.

“Pff yeah, I mean, everyone here is twice our age, what kind of fun is that? Why would anyone be excited to come here?” A male Lexus sniggered now, causing Shadow to smile nervously.

“Well… it’s not that bad… I’ve seen worse after all” Shadow gave a nervous laugh to lighten the suddenly dimming atmosphere.

“Oh right, yeah cause of your oh-so tragic past” The Citreon spoke again, a slight smirk on her face. It earned a snicker from the others that were there, and Shadow shrank a little on her tires.

“Hey, I heard she ran screaming, like a child! No wonder she was so easy to find again!” The Lexus laughed, causing the others to laugh along too. Shadow’s gaze drifted to them all, backing up a little. Their taunting tones made her look away now, feeling rather hurt by it. She backed up and made a small excuse, before rolling away. She had always considered her lucky for escaping the horrors she did… and she had never actually told anyone about her past, everyone had only really found out through word of mouth. But now… it appeared that it was her past that was being used against her still. She felt a little rejected at that point, glancing over to Finn, who was still deeply engrossed in conversation. Familiar feelings of insecurity began to plague her, infecting her mind as she watched the agents around her. She wasn’t that much of a black sheep… was she? She tried to look for more experienced Agents now, ones that perhaps wouldn’t hold her past against her. She approached two other groups, and although they were not as cruel as the first, there was certainly an air of discomfort, as they avoided eye contact and gave one word answers.
Defeated, the Celica dropped her hood to floor level, taking a slow drive back to where Wren was standing, whom upon being left alone, was attacking the free food. One glance told the Corsair everything she needed to know.

“What’s wrong with your face… I can’t fix that” Wren finally spoke, after pausing her constant abuse on the food. Shadow seemed to keep her eyes on the floor, her tires rubbing it a little to provide some kind of distraction to herself.

“N-Nothing. I just don’t think… making friends is for me” She admitted, glancing up to the Corsair in perhaps a little too much hope. Wren missed this look however, and carried on her usual ‘I-don’t-care’ image.

“Tch, Why do you want the approval of others? Friends are just draining and annoying”

“Aren’t we friends?”

“… You are annoying. I rest my case. Anyway, as much as it’s been….. truly wonderful to be here, I must be off” Wren announced, turning and rolling away from the car. She widened her eyes a little and zipped forward, blocking Wrens path as she looked up in confusion.

“Going? You promised you’d come!”

“Yes… but I never promised I’d stay for the whole thing” 

Shadow’s expression fell, glancing back into the main lobby where everyone was gathered, swallowing a little in worry.

“Ok… well… I guess being here wasn’t that great anyway… I’ll just tell Finn we’re leaving” 

“Hm? What, no that wasn’t an invitation for you to-“ Wren began, though Shadow was already headed toward where she had last seen Finn. It was here, that her name was called, causing her to stop and look to the source.

“Hey! Shadow! Over here!” A yellow Suzuki waved his tire at her, motioning her over with his hood. She let a brief smile slip onto her face, though it didn’t come without a new set of nerves. His name was Jace, and the two had started out as rather good friends when they both started the Academy, though their skills were very similar in level, so over time things between them became competitive and strained. They then turned into each others main rival, and it was quite a bitter one at that. They hadn’t spoken since graduating, however, so perhaps the hype of the Academy had left their system and they could finally be friends again. He was currently at the second food table, one that Wren hadn’t obliterated, signalling her over once more. She picked up her speed just a little as she rolled to meet him, her smile mirroring his as she began to feel a little more at ease.

“Shads! Great to see you! How’s the tire?” He asked, referring to an accident Shadow had in her second year.

“Oh it’s recovered now, I’m able to use it fully once more, how have you been?” Shadow finally pulled up, smiling to her former rival. The Suzuki nodded his hood here, though there seemed something… off with the motion.

“Yeah, yeah I’m great. Listen… Do you know where we can score some Flake?” He spoke with a hushed whisper, though Shadow only frowned in confusion.

“Some… what?” 

“You know… Snow.”

“I’m… sorry?”

"Oh come on, don’t give me that! Blow, Toot, Dust… Powder!”

“Jace, you’re literally just saying words”

The Alto rolled his eyes, lowering his voice even more.

“Cocaine. Come on, you were raised in a criminal circuit! Did the Carlisle’s not specialise in Drugs to begin with?” He answered, causing Shadow to roll back a little.

“Jace… you know that’s also incredibly illegal… what in Chryslers name do you think you’re doing asking for it? And for the record, no, I don’t know where to score you some, I refused to have anything to do with whatever it was my family did” She said defensively, backing up a little. Jace seemed to chuckle a little here, though his eyes suddenly held a dark look to them, and it worried her.

“Oh Shadow… Shads…. Silly-Car” He too used his own pet name for her, and it caused her to scowl once more.

“Don’t you understand? You were born a criminal… You were born to a criminal family… You have criminal in your blood… it’s part of your DNA…You don’t… actually think you belong here do you?” Jace half scoffed, earning a few chuckled from a car or two behind him. Shadow swiftly noted that they were the Lexus and the Citreon from earlier… So it perhaps didn’t surprise her as much.

“Jace, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but it has to stop” Shadow warned, though she had no threat… what on earth could she even threaten him with? His words were cutting deep, feeling as though they were slicing into her tank and making her feel rather ill.

“I’m not a criminal… I never have been” She persisted, though Jace’s smirk only made her more angry.

“Oh what’s wrong Silly-Car? That Carlisle temper getting the better of you?” He mocked, his voice rising a little.

“STOP calling me that!” She snapped, raising on her tires and trying to control that said temper he was referring to… She couldn’t lose her cool. Not here. It was here, he reached his tire to the side of the large glass punch bowl that sit on the table, and swiped it to the floor, the glass shattering, the liquid splashing up and covering them both. Within seconds, Jace was backing away, a petrified look on his face.

“S-Shadow… You… you need to calm down… I –I didn’t mean to upset you!” He called out, whilst Shadow watching him in confusion. It was here she noticed that more and more agents had stopped talking and were now staring in their direction. Even Finn was watching with uncertainty.

“Wait… No… I didn’t… That wasn’t me!” She said now, looking to Jace with an annoyed expression. She gingerly lowered herself on her tires, just as Jace spoke up again.

“I only asked about her family… I thought maybe she was different… then she got upset and tried to attack me!” Jace cried out, earning a few disapproving murmurs from around her.

“No… No I didn’t-“

“You should go back to the slums you emerged from, Silly-Car!” The Citreon piped up, earning a laugh once more from the Lexus. Shadow was backing away, tears stinging her eyes as she watched other agents join in the laughter. She was backing away a little, looking to those that were laughing. The whole room was watching as the two confronted each other, murmurs and laughter rippling through the room between the agents, and the Celica could feel all eyes on them... burning her paint as she judged her once more. 

"I didn't-" She tried to protest, though was now trying not to cry fully in front of everyone. Emotions were a very touchy subject when you were an agent... you had to control them. 

"Whatever made you think you'd be one of us? You're a dirty, cheating, disgusting low-life crim-" Jace had begun, before a sudden noise of engine and propellers could be heard, echoing throughout the room as Wren now appeared from seemingly nowhere, standing above the Celica as she ducked down. 

"Agent Carlisle is 10 TIMES the agent you will ever be!" She snarled through gritted teeth, the sudden presence of the Corsair causing Jace to shrink back a little. He seemed to take a moment to recover, before righting himself. 

"Heh... you're hardly one to talk... you're a medic... couldn't manage to be an agent eh?" He snickered, which caused the large Corsair to scowl.

"I can break every part in a cars body and STILL leave them breathing. I can extract any part I want and swap it with any desired item I desire, so should I choose a piece of fruit, guess who'll be running on orange juice for the next 10 years. I can make any death appear like an accident, and I can certainly induce any kind of coma you should deserve, and I can do it ALL without sedative....I was in the line of fire back in the Navy, saving planes from the brink of death, seeing the life seep away in such a haunting way, you can only watch it in movies. I've seen brutal attacks, planes missing entire wings and once even an entire back half blown off... and I saved each and every one of them. So i'd watch very carefully who you insult because I have an entire team of medics at my disposal and you... are just a tiny car with a vile attitude. What was that? Couldn't make it as a medic could you hm? But sure... I didn't make it as an agent. But then... why would I do that when playing god is so much more fun?" Wren smiled wickedly now, staring hard at the Suzuki. Her rudder was twitching in irritation, the Celica now taking refuge underneath her. 

"I don't suppose you are even aware of the amount of damage that internally Shadow came to CHROME with... Not everyone lives through unprofessional procedures where your engine block is removed, as well as vital oil pipes, then shoved back in the wrong way. The fact that Shadow survived this procedure more times than you could count, makes her far stronger than any of your miserable existences. The fact she still functions, and can breathe is a miracle in itself and places her as a far more superior car than you could ever hope to be. You would probably pass out at the sight of your own oil.. Oh, and guess who would be in charge of reviving you... yours truly. Trust me... I will NOT be nice about it..." She threatened, causing Jace to look round the room in concern. 

"Trying to belittle others to make yourself look big and tough? You are nothing more than a scuff on the pavement outside. I hope in time everyone sees you for the nasty little sh*t you are, you aren't even worthy of being called a trainee. I've seen many an agent die in their building, great honourable agents... you aren't even worth the ground they once drove upon" She seethed, though Shadow was looking up in slight confusion. Jace was rendered speechless, staring at the plane. No one had ever really spoken back to him, so this was an un-nerving difference to him. 

"Now... get your ass home to your mummy before I scrawl 'Do not resuscitate' across your entire file!" She growled, causing Jace to back up. Wren took his silence to mean victory, turning and heading back toward the exit. She stopped after a few feet as she heard Jace try and shrug it off to his friends. 

"Oh and... how are your Piles?" She remarked with a smirk, causing everyone to look to Jace once more, more murmurs and a slow laughter filling the room. Jace sunk on his tires and glanced around in a panic, before trying to zip off unseen. Shadow had remained where she was, staring at Jace all through this, even when Wren left her, though only seemed to snap back into reality when she felt Finn use his tire to nudge her side. 

"Carlisle, are you ok?" He asked carefully, and she sniffed once, shaking her hood suddenly.

"Uh... yeah, yeah I'm fine... um" She seemed to say, before she started her engine and zipped round Finn quickly, going after Wren now.

"Hey... what... what was that? I... I never told you about what they did to me... That's been a... a secret, how did you know?" Shadow seemed to stammer, before Wren glanced at her. 

"Everyone's engines tell a story, Shadow. Your story was painful to look at" The Corsair responded. Shadow stopped here, though Wren still rolled on, pausing at the door. 

"Wren...."

"Yes Shadow?"

".....I need a hug"

"Go away"
Summary:
Shadow: Birb intensifies by MF99K
Wren: Llama Emoji-06 (Depress) [V1] by Jerikuto

Turns out Shadow can't talk street and Wren may or may not have killed a man. 

Next: Still Here - Ch. 4
Previous: Still Here Ch. 2
Start here: Still Here - Ch. 1

Chapter Song: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdHCec…

Shadow (c) Me
Wren (c) Solo-Swift 
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Solo-Swift's avatar
WREN WILL EAT ALL THE FOOD 

I am here for the free things don't speak to me... 
Inthelateryearssherubsoffonshadowtheybothstopspeakingtopeoplestartrockingupeatingallthefoodandleaving. 

....go away shadow... JUSTHUGHERTAILSHADOWSHECANTREACHYOUTHEREOK