• 𝓓𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓷𝔂 • {𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐣𝐚𝐠𝐨}

•S1 E3: Snakebit (I)•

He laughed. That was an unforgettable experience—getting barely more than a kilometre away, and yet seeing so, so much. And in those few instances, with the sun and the grass and the rocks, you knew that you wanted it all. Just like your father.

You walked, and walked, and kept walking. By the time all this was over, your leg muscles were going to be absolutely ripped. Finally, the Fangpyres stopped at a... junkyard. You blinked, turning to Lloyd to make sure he was seeing what you were seeing. He returned the look with a confused nod. Yep. Ed & Edna's Scrap N Junk, the "S" flickering ever so often. You giggled into your jacket sleeve, disguising it as a cough.

The snakes, at their general's command, hid behind large piles of scrap and metal and little uselessly useful things. You considered protesting before Lloyd also ducked behind what looked like a dinner plate, if dinner plates were the size of cars. Quickly ducking behind the lid, you waited.

Minutes later, a very interesting car pulled into the junkyard. It did a few odd turns and made a good number of odd sounds before finally coming to a halt, the diver taking off his helmet—an old man—and chirping, 'Home sweet home! And back to the grind.'

    You didn't really know how to feel about how chipper he was, picking up his toolbox and whistling a tune as he went. Still, you followed him (and someone that you assumed to be his wife) as they walked to what looked like a giant robot. It was rusty in some places, shiny in others. The colours clashed horrifically, yet seemed to come together in a somewhat satisfying way. If you were to look at it sideways and upside down, you might even have found it quite the beautiful contraption.

    Lloyd nudged you and you nudged back, grinning widely. You'd only seen big robots in the few comics that you stole from little corner shops. It was one thing to read about them, but to see one in person? If you weren't trying to stay hidden...

    'Oh, sweetie,' the woman sighed, 'you've been working on that day in, day out!'

    'Never know when Jay might show up,' the man chuckled, scratching the back of his neck with a somewhat oily wrench.

    She laughed. 'Oh, you're right. You never know.' She stepped into a trailer, somewhat cleaner than the junk it was surrounded by. 'Don't stay out too late! And be sure to lock it down when you're done.'

    She disappeared into the trailer, a warm light seeping through the windows and under the rickety door. Your heart gave a short pang before being swallowed up again by the reminder of what you were doing. What you were doing this for.

    The Fangpyre general had already waved his soldiers to move around the junkyard, slowly but surely closing in on the robot. The old man pulled on a metal face mask, taking a blowtorch to the robot. The sound of welding filled the still night air. It almost sounded like music. It was better than the shouting at Darkley's, and it was better than the tense silence of sleeping in the wild. You swayed on your feet, closing your eyes. At least in the desert, nights were somewhat warm.

    'Edna? Was that you?'

    You nearly jumped out of your skin. Quickly, you checked around you to see if you'd somehow tipped something over or kicked something—nothing. The old man was looking warily around the yard, blowtorch in hand.

    You realised, then, that the Fangpyres were no longer in their hiding places.

    The woman (Edna, you supposed) poked her head out of the trailer door. 'What, Ed? Are you hearing things again?'