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Elsewhere. That's where McDowell was. Really, it was about five miles outside Milwaukee city limits just on the edge of Lake Michigan. He'd been flung from The Chicago Firehouse Salmon Cannons at such a velocity he passed over Kenosha. He was lucky, he supposed, that the lake was there. Not that it felt good to be slammed into Lake Michigan, but landing on the ground would likely hurt far worse. Now he was wet, and cold, and walking towards Milwaukee; or at least that’s what the road signs said.
He could tell this was The Elsewhere though. Not too unlike slipping into a pocket of a foreign LA. You can tell it’s not where you’re from, and it won’t lead you where you need to go. He was walking towards Milwaukee, and had been for several hours.
On the edge of the road he passed the Wlaffle House. He’d passed this Wlaffle House twice already, knowing what was inside it from the last time he’d been brought here. He’d wanted to believe if he just kept walking, maybe he would get to the city. Maybe he could find a cellphone with a working reception. Maybe he could call Sexton or Vito to come get him. Maybe even suck it up and call Michelle, if he had to.
The fog of the distance simply pressed on. It begged him to leave the road. Go into the woods. Get lost. But he knew what fate was stored there. He’d been scattered before. He’d suffered that fate and knew better. He stuck to the road and passed the Wlaffle House again.
His cell phone worked. Technically. He could see updates, and recieve information about the game he had been ejected from. But it wouldn't call. Wouldn't text.
This time as he passed the Wlaffle House again, he paused at it’s entrance. He clearly wasn’t going to get to Milwaukee, let alone Chicago or Los Angelii. His feet were tired, and it would be…nice to sit down. Maybe have a cup of coffee.
He wouldn't go into the forest.
He pressed the door Inwards and saw exactly what he expected. It looked identical to last time, except-
Wyatt.
Not his Wyatt. Not NaN or- or Ivy. Another one of them. The one birthed from the radio waves of the Big Garage. Glitchy and sad off in the corner. He couldn’t help himself, and slowly made his way to the booth.
Wyatt was his responsibility. He was the captain, and everything that happened did so under his care. And things just kept happening so much. Again and again- it was a miracle NaN existed as he did. It was a miracle Ivy was still alive. And this Wyatt…
“MaX,” McDowell said hesitantly, “you’re here too?”
Wyatt Mason X looked up In surprise. The recognition that McDowell had was not there, as he could see Xis face trying to figure out where he knew this giant monster from. “Captain McDowell?” They finally asked, the confusion in their voice taking prominence.
“Hey kid I uh- I know we haven’t talked much but um. Would you mind if I took a seat?” He asked, hoping very much MaX wouldn’t mind.
The Wyatt Mason shook their head and McDowell sat down, squeezing into the very small booth. McDowell took a second to compose his thoughts before saying, “I know you’re your own person. You have your own team. But I uh- you know. You’re still a Wyatt. I guess. You look upset, is what I mean. Here in The Elsewhere is uh- it’s scary. I know. But uh-“ he trailed off, not entirely sure what to say.
MaX simply nodded, “it sucks. So many people have been in and out but I’m still here.”
“Yeah- yeah it does. It does suck. First time I was here it was…for a long time.” He wondered how long they'd been here.
MaX nodded. Xe’d been here before as well. “I’m kinda worried-“ they started “there’ve been…a lot of people through here. In and out.”
“But not you.” McDowell answered.
MaX nodded. “Not me.”
“Well, I know it’s not helpful but-“ McDowell took a drink of a coffee he didn’t order and set the cup down “-you will get out of here eventually. When it’s your time. My first time took forever. It felt like weeks. And when I came back I was all…messed up.”
MaX nodded. “Scattered. Yeah. When I Echo it I- I just feel kind of weird but then I got scattered for real and I just- I don’t want to do that again.” Xe sounded so scared about it.
McDowell reached across the table, pushing aside MaX’s uneaten plate of waffles to hold his little hand. It wasn’t what he would like to do. If this were Wyatt. Or NaN. Or even Ivy. He would hold them close, tell them it would be okay. Try his best to protect them as much as he could. But he didn’t know MaX like that. He couldn’t let out those inherent protective feelings on this child that didn’t know him. But he could hold their hand and tell them, “it’ll be okay.”
If MaX was bothered by the touch they didn’t show it. “I’m just worried about when I get back.”
“I admittedly don’t know the garages too well,” McDowell started, “We don’t get a lot of cross league play and they’re uh- well they’re a lot more famous than we are. But I can imagine how much they love you, MaX. I assume just the same as I do for Ivy or- W-NaN. They’ll be there for you when you get back. You’re their teammate.”
MaX slipped a small smile and finally withdrew their hand from McDowell’s. “At least I don’t gotta play.”
McDowell laughed and sat up, “that’s right! Look on the bright side. It’s a crappy vacation but at least it is a vacation.”
“I’ve just been here so long- I it’s almost the post season! I miss my team, I missed so many chances to see Ivy-“
Ivy. Oh, now that was a touchy subject. “I miss Ivy too. I meant to go see her, you know? After the Chicago game. I was going to take a trip with Sexton. Down to Dallas…” see my kid, “but now I’m here and I don’t guess that’s going to happen.”
MaX was silent.
“I know I annoy her with how much I call. I just, I worry.”
“Ivy’s happy to hear from you.” Xe finally responded. “They…are having a rough time right now. Dallas hasn’t been great.”
McDowell knows that. He knows what’s happened in Atlantis must be heartbreaking for the kid. He simply nods, “I can’t imagine.” But he can. He’s lost people like that.
“If you do go down to Dallas,” Max replied, “would you tell them I said hi?”
“Of course, kid,” McDowell responds automatically. He couldn’t think of doing otherwise. “If you see her before I do, I expect you to do the same.”
“Oh I will, I-“
The door to the Wlaffle House creaked open, letting the fog billow inwards. McDowell got that feeling. That feeling of creeping into a universe that is just one closer to yours than the last one. The small sense of rightness that slides over your skin as you slowly inch back toward the correct dimension.
This was his time to go.
“MaX, your time will come sooner than you think. I gotta go now. Come say hi if you’re ever in LA, okay? Don’t be a stranger, cuz you’re not.”
MaX simply stared at him, realizing he was leaving, they sat back into the seat with resignation. “Bye, McDowell.” They said.
And McDowell said goodbye as well.
