+Red Army Base+
Ever since Tord went back to attending his regulated duties as a Leader, the process of Tom's new eyes was slowly making progress.
All to a certain degree that had Tord actually locking himself in the lab with Tom, just so he could finally finish the fucking device already. The substitute secretaries weren't providing him any amusement or banter he would usually have with the alcoholic.
Tom, on the other hand, had to laugh at Tord's childish actions. He was like a little kid who wanted nothing more than to do whatever he wants when he wants.
"Don't you think you're overreacting Tord?" Not questioning the man in an angered tone, but a more light-hearted mocking one.
If Tom could only see, he would have seen Tord roll his eyes with an irritated expression. "I'm not overreacting. The sooner I can finish this, the better. That way your soldiers can stop getting distracted by your condition and I can avoid disappointing temporary replacements." He was just about finished with Tom's new aid tool. The use of the VR set has the finest quality top down. The screen itself is built with the finest camera lenses, gives Tom the ability to see in HD. So to Tom, it would be like watching the world through a TV screen. Allowing him a better perspective than the normal human eye.
Tom leans back against the wall and listens to things around him. Tord's machines were turning gears, he could hear the man's quiet breathing, the sound of his tools connecting to and from his would be new eyes.
When Tord finally attached the last piece to the VR, he put the device down gently on the table. He smiles a bit feeling a small amount of relief flood his system, but he knows this is no time to be relieved just yet. He gets up and goes over to Tom. "Alright Thomas, I'm going to lead you to a chair next to my work desk. I need you test your new eyewear."
Tom got off the bed with Tord's help as he began to lead him towards his work desk. He felt Tord guide him over to his seat to sit down. "I'm hoping you didn't make this so I can look like a fool while wearing it for the rest of my life." His tone unamused, but Tord could tell he was just joking.
"Maybe, maybe not," Tord answers back once he got Tom seated. He picks up the eyewear again and presses it over Tom's eyes. Then Tord fastens the straps around his head to keep it in place. "Okay, this part might hurt just a little bit."
"What?"
Tord didn't answer his question as he presses one of the buttons on the side of the googles. Tom quickly presses his hands against the front of the goggles when he feels like little speared wires connect to the back of his socket.
"T-To-rod?!" Tom cries out in a pained tone. It felt so painful like he was being stabbed deeply in the back of his sockets. There was no fucking way this would only hurt a little.
"It'll be over soon Thomas." Tord tried to assure the man. He tried his best to find a way to lessen the pain, although there was nothing to avoid the problem. The wires had to connect to the nerves or else the eye set wouldn't work very properly.
While Tom is in anguish by the pain, Tord grabbed the syringe on the table with liquid contents containing a very small microscopic chip. The chip is suppose to help Tom's brain connect with the googles to know what he's seeing. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I got stabbed in the eyes many times over Commie." Tom groans as his hands hold his head. He could still feel some of the cords trying to connect with his nerves.
"Well, I'm giving you a shot to the head." Okay, that didn't come out like he wanted it to sound.
"You're gonna shoot me?" Tord was pretty sure Tom would be glaring at him.
"Don't take it wrong way Witness, I meant with a special syringe I'm holding. I need to implant the chip in your brain so you can connect with the goggles on your face." He gets up and stands behind Tom and places his free hand on Tom's head so he could search for the spot where he wouldn't damage the brain. Once he found the right spot, he injected the chip into Tom's head.
Tom didn't feel any pain, thankfully, so he counted the shot as something good for once during this procedure. "What now?"
"Try turning it on," Tord tells him, watching as Tom's fingers trace the side of the goggles to look for a button he assumes is the power button. He finds a button smaller from the rest and presses it.
Tom watches the darkness blink on like a tv. There was still the black backdrop, but words appeared with a loading bar.
System Operational
Loading...
The loading bar below the words went up to a hundred percent. Instead of the black scape, colors filtered through his new vision.
Connected
Tord watched the VR set turned on and had three green squares jumping in waves in the middle of the black screen. Next, there's a check sign to show everything is operational and connected, two flat green lines appear once the check faded away.
"Tom?"
Those light green lines rise and open like eyes. Tord watched as Tom blink a couple of times.
"Tord?" Tom questions seeing the man in front of him. In a better view than when he had his old human eyes like everything is in high definition now. The lenses in his VR adjusted his vision focus until he got a clear image of the other man. "Is that you?"
Tord looks the same, just disheveled in appearance, probably due to his stress of being a leader or worrying about him. He would assume it's the first option since there was only the smallest percent the man actually cared for him. Tord only needs him to work for his army after all.
"Who else would I be Thomas?" Tord can't help but grin with his response. A sense of relief flooded his system as he took a seat behind his work desk next to Tom. Then again, it felt weird now that he could tell what and where his blue rival is looking at now. There was always the mystery of where or what Tom was always looking at, but now, from here on out, things would be different.
Tom's new eyes looked around the room until they came back to look at Tord again. "Well, this will definitely take some time getting used to."
"I even made the set waterproof. So don't worry if your new eyes get wet." Tord tells him. Just making one was very expensive, but he'd make the exception for Tom. Knowing the alcoholic, he'd probably break the screen a lot. He is so lucky his army is so loaded with money. "Let's take a walk around the base. I want to make sure those eyes of yours don't short circuit or fall out." Tord gets up from his seat to head to the door.
"Yes, sir." Tom mocks as he rolls his digital green eyes. He follows behind Tord once again now that he can see.
A new door in his life opens.
~Small Time Skip~
Tom and Tord walk through the halls of the base with some words passed here and there. Soldiers passing by would smile at them and greet the two with relief.
Red soldiers who saw the two of them stood straight and salute. They were happy to see Tom walking about again on his own with a new way to see. Some of them even commented to Tord about how cool they were, while some of his scientist and technicians were amazed at his creation.
"Sir we're so glad to see you okay."
"Red Leader, this invention of your is really worthy of praise. You helped a blind man see again!"
"Red Leader those goggles are so cool, they suit Blue Leader perfectly!"
Blue soldiers who saw the two started tearing up on the spot. They were so happy to see Tom being able to move on his own again. It caught the two leaders in surprised when most of the soldiers shook Tord's hand vigorously with mantras of thanks and how grateful they were he had given Tom a new way to see again. It just gave them a new found respect for the Red Leader.
"R-Red thank you so much for helping Blue!"
"You don't know how much we appreciate your help. We were so worried about him."
"We're so grateful to have someone help Blue after going through something difficult like that. Thank you!"
A small smile settles on Tom's lips. It seems his soldiers were actually seeing Tord in a new light. "Seems my soldiers are starting to respect you to some degree," Tom says as he continues walking beside Tord.
"I could say the same with my soldiers. What did you do if I may I ask?" Tord as curiously as his eyes glance to the side at Tom, a small smirk there for show.
Tom holds his hands behind his back and looks unsure. "I don't really know to be honest. Maybe it had something to do with the Luis Randel escape." The brunet blinks a couple of times, noticing he forgot to ask what happened to the man after he got shot. "What did happen to the guy anyway?"
"I had some of my soldiers take him outside is all," Tord tells the lie with fluidity. He did not need Tom to know he mangled the guy dead in all the ways he knew possible.
So to say, Tord didn't really feel satisfied with the dead yellow soldier. The Yellow Army knowing what happened 10 years ago didn't put him at ease. 'Maybe I should send a troop to bomb the base up. Any survivors can be locked up for informational use.' He thinks to himself.
Tom hums before he adds one thing that pissed Tord off internally. "I think that Luis guy even got a boner from pissing me off." His face scrunched up in disgust before laughing it off.
'Right, no survivors then.' Tord rethinks on his last idea.
Tom fiddles with the checkered bracelet on his left wrist. The one that Tord put on him when they had their little reunion a month back, so he couldn't leave the base without it shocking him to the bone. The fiddling with the bracelet became a habit when he was around said man. "So I guess I'll go back to being your secretary again. We basically went around the whole base now and ended back at the Leader section of the base."
"Of course, that would be for the better. You can use the rest of the day to get reacquainted with your soldiers or get some rest. You'll start work again tomorrow."
Tom and Tord walk into the lobby of the Leader quarters and split up to their respective halls. Tom to the left and Tord to the right.
"See you tomorrow then Commie," Tom says over his shoulder and continues to his room.
Tord watches him leave, nodding to himself before going on his way to his own office.
"Right back at you Jehovah's Witness."
+With Tom+
Tom laid on his bed with a sigh. His new eyes were comfy and allowable to sleep in so he didn't need to worry about taking them off. The wires wouldn't let him anyways.
He brings his hand up to touch the corner of his new eye set. Tom thinks back years ago when he first saw Future Tom. His future self appeared used to his new look. Confident and ready to fight.
Tord made his goggles, so did that mean he continues helping him in the future?
His fingers go back to fiddling with his checkered pattern shock bracelet. Will he ever be able to leave Tord's Army with his soldiers?
All his thoughts went back and forth between now and the future version of himself. However, when he did, he remembered that he never saw a checkered bracelet on future Tom's wrist.
Tom shakes his head, he probably didn't notice it. The damn thing could have been covered by his sleeve.
'I've had enough thinking for the day. Might as well catch up on some sleep.' He thinks as he turns his VR set off. The lenses close off and his vision goes dark.
Tom snuggles under the covers of his bed and drifts to sleep.
+With Tord+
Tord sat in his office finishing the last stack of paperwork pertaining to the strategist department. So far his conquer around the world is going swell. He left England alone, but it was no problem since they made peace. Although their military helping other nations were not left alone.
So far he's been getting some news here and there about Edd's and Matt's groups of the Rebellion. They were doing round about work in America and Russia, for England before deciding to spread out a bit more to other nations after getting more supporters from the British government.
"If anything the luck on my side is equivalent to theirs now that Tom is working with me." He said to himself as he finished signing one of the papers from the stack.
Knock knock
Tord looks up from the sheet to the door. "Enter." The door to his office opens and his parents come into the room. "Paul, Patryk what bring you here?"
"We came to remind you about your leave tomorrow to American." Patryk kindly informs him. Paul beside him nods at the reminder of the government meeting that was set up a week earlier.
Tord slaps his forehead as he leans back in his chair. "I️ forgot about that stupid meeting." He sides and sits back up, his arms now crossed over his chest. "Is there any way I️ can cancel that?"
"You can't cancel the meeting since they are persistently trying to get in touch with you. I️ keep hearing from them that you always cut them off during video calls." Paul snickers after telling him why he couldn't. He takes a drag of his cigarette and slowly blows it out. "Plus you need to check on the front lines and speak with the Generals there. I️ heard from General Victor, who looks after their calls here at the base, need restocking soon."
Tord sighs, "Load the planes with the restock supplies, we'll take them to the front lines and back lines. Have the armory department load extra weapons too." A thought came to him when remembered about Tom's current situation. He wasn't in any condition to follow him outside the base just yet, not forgetting the guy was still wearing the shock bracelet he put on him.
"Sir?"
"Just thinking Patryk. How long is the trip?"
"About three weeks, we have to have a few days of the meeting, restocking front and back lines," Patryk respond as Paul flipped some pages on his clipboard and handed it to his partner. "We'll also be participating in fighting in the front lines for awhile to keeps the soldiers sharp and motivated."
"And the time of departure?"
"After breakfast sir," Paul answers this time.
Tord rubs the bottom of his chin before coming to a final decision. "Have everyone present during breakfast. I️ have an announcement to make before we head out."
"Yes, sir."
With that, the two men leave the office to go back to work before they leave with their boss. Tord is left with his paperwork again as he pulls another piece of paper from the stack.
"If Tom can take care of his soldiers, I'm sure this won't be any different."
~Time Skip: Next Day~
Everyone is present in the dining hall the next morning for breakfast. Some soldiers are stationed by the doors to keep everyone who finished their food in the hall for awhile until Tord's announcement.
The Blue soldiers sat at their table eating and chatting along. Tom is with them, keeping an eye out for any fighting that might erupt from any of his soldiers while enjoying his breakfast. Some of them spoke to Tom and even asked how his new eyes felt like.
"They're comfortable, so I️ can sleep with them on. They're also waterproof so it won't be too much of a problem if they got wet."
"Ah~ That's so cool, but different since we can see where you're looking at now."
Tom chuckles and ruffles Oliver's hair. "Start getting used to it Oliver, I've got these on for life now." He shrugs his shoulders once he pulls his hand back.
Olivia, who's sitting to her twin's right side, notices Tord getting up on the platform in front of the dining hall. "Looks like Red's about to say something."
All the Blue soldiers were noticing that too and put their attention on him like Tom was doing when he heard Olivia say that. Indeed the Leader of the Red Army was now gathering everyone's attention around the dining hall.
Tord clears his throat after Paul handed him the mic. "Let's see... can everyone hear me?" He is reasoned by the resounding 'yes sir' around the room. While the Blue soldiers acted like kids rolling their eyes at him.
Tom decided to continue eating his breakfast since the announcements don't matter to him. They were probably about further expansion plans.
"As some of you already knew, I'll be leaving the base for three weeks since my tried conquest in England."
Now that is news to Tom. Now that he thought about it, Tord hasn't left the base since he came back with him. He is the leader of the top army fighting for control of the world, so it shouldn't be a surprise when he needs to leave the main base for other matters. Well, he wasn't supposed to leave base anyways so Tord may as well be giving his position temporarily to someone else during his out of base duties. Tom picks up his glass of water and takes a drink to wash down the food in his throat.
"So while I'm away..." Everyone could see a growing grin mixed in with a smirk, "Thomas Thompson will be in charge of the base!"
Tom had never expected to spit his water out faster than when he was trying to burn the Christmas tree they used to have.
"What!?" He shouts, standing up from his seat quickly looking back at Tord.
"Ugh! Blue!" Darwin exclaims in a whine. Since he was sitting in front of Tom, he became the victim of having water sprayed on him.
Tom looks back to Darwin and apologizes. He picks up his napkin to give to the man to wipe off the water.
"It's fitting that you should be in charge of the base while I'm gone. You are my Second in Command for my Army after all." The grin on a Tord's expression lessens and returns to a smirk. He did this to see if Tom could take charge like he did when he was still a leader of the Rebellion base. Tord hopes Tom could provide support to his army, they could win with his help, all this is a gamble after all.
"No way..." Tom breaths out as he is now faced with the challenge to take care of the base.
Not just any base, but the Main Base of the Red Army.