♡♤Michael Vey Imagines/Preferences♡♤

♡Tanner II♡

(Okay, reason for the like fifty updates all at once. I was in the car and I finished book six, lowkey mad I didn't have book seven, so I just wrote a bunch of imagines because I was mad at richardpaulevans. Hi, Mak from the future here (7/19/23) I have since rewritten this (I'm still mad at Richard Paul Evans tho for doing us dirty like that), but it follows the storyline better because my understanding of the character has increased. So let it be known that it still contains MAJOR SPOILERS if you haven't read through book 6 yet. You have been warned, but plz do enjoy)

Things In The Sky

You watch Tanner from afar, sitting alone in the pouring rain, watching the sky. You offered to help him earlier, but he refused. Instead, he sits looking out an open window, the pouring rain having already soaked his clothes through.

He looks miserable, but you keep reminding yourself he's the one who wanted it - as if that's gonna make you feel better about leaving him alone. You're sure that he will invite you over sooner rather than later, but so far he's seemed pretty content where he is.

It's unnerving you how set he seems on placing himself in harms way. It's almost as if he's decided this is going to be a suicide mission. There's one thing about Tanner, if he truly sets his mind on something he's going to go through with it. Nothing will steer him off course. Thus, every passing second he doesn't look over at you, worries your soul more.

Tired of waiting for him to break, you take matters into your own hands. You sit down next to him, but he barely stirs. "Those things really work?" You ask, trying to stir up a conversation.

"What these?" He asks, pulling the binoculars from his eyes to examine them. "Yeah, I mean they do their job. You wanna see?"

You nod, gently taking them from Tanner's hand. He watches as you adjust them, a small smile on your face when things come into focus. "Wow, you really can see a lot with these things." Tanner nods and you replace them in his outstretched palm.

You slip your fingers in his and lean your head on his shoulder. He doesn't say anything, just uses his freehand to replace the binoculars and continues to look out on the sky line. You were hoping the extra support would be enough to snap him out of his funk, but it didn't seem to do much other than put weight on his shoulder.

"You can do it." You whisper softly, to which Tanner nods, leaning his head on top of yours.

"I know I can physically do it, but mentally?" He sighs softly. "I've killed so many people already, I don't need this going to my head too."

"There's a lot going on in there, huh?" You mentally facepalm at that reply, visibly shaking your head. "I'm sorry, I just mean that there's a difference here. You're not doing this out of self pleasure." Tanner raises an eyebrow at you. "You're doing this to save the world."

Tanner, knowing that you're right, nods. "Yeah, I know that." He says. "But that doesn't change the fact there's people in those planes, even if they are Elgen."

You frown, brushing his hair back from his face. "In a sick way, you might be doing them a service. They have no family, no friends really, everyone is an enemy. If they survive this there's a chance they will be sent to the rat bowl for feeding time."

"I'll just be sending them to their death faster," Tanner retorts, knocking your hand away. His face twists angrily, but he stops himself when he sees the fearful look in your eye. "I'm sorry, Y/n, I guess I just- I don't know."

"Why did you come?" Tanner looks at you, his deep blue eyes clouding over with emotion. His features melt and he slowly shakes his head.

"Because I want to help my family. You guys are everything to me. You are everything to me." You open your mouth to reply, but Ian beats you to say anything.

Tanner snaps to attention at Ian's announcement of two approaching helicopters. The whirr of machinery heard far off in the distance.  

"It's okay if you can't do it," Tanner's eyes flash with something like surprises. He squeezes your hand, stretching the free one. The helicopter wobbles, dipping left, then dipping right. It twirls gracefully, slowly descending. He moves his focus to the second, it begins to dip, but not quite as quick as what was hoped.

"Too late! The missile was launched!"

Tanner sends the second helicopter flying with a sweep of his hand, anger steeling in his eyes. He pushes you away, behind Michael who took a defensive stance to try and deflect the missile. 

It all happened so fast, yet so slow at the same time. You covered your face with your arm as the glass broke. Shrapnel hit the ground beside you, Taylor screamed, and then it was silent. You dropped your arm to find a sight in front of you, you hoped to never see.

Tanner lay, bleeding, his eyes wide, his chest rapidly rising and falling. Michael is the first one to his side, begging him to hold on, telling him he's gonna be alright, but Tanner doesn't care.

Those deep blue eyes you love so much are fading quickly into a soft blue, losing all life and light behind them. The red in his cheeks drains, leaving only that pale white skin.

You crawl over to him, placing your hand in his. He gives you a smile, lifting a shaking hand to place it on your cheek.

"You wanted this, didn't you?" You choke, tears clouding your vision. Tanner slowly shakes his head.

"I didn't want this, I just didn't want anymore of that. I'm sorry I couldn't do it, but...all those people I've killed." He blinks slowly, taking a deep breath.

"I love you, Tanner."

"I love you too, Y/n." He pauses, his eyes dropping, the motion of his chest slowing down. Before it stills completely, he mumbles, "I'll see you up there."