Chapter Text
A gruesome final battle left her with nothing more than what she had before. Maybe even a little less. She drifted alone, in space's endless, cold void. A trail of tears was all that was left behind. In a spur of hope and despair, she called out to the universe once more.
“...Why?”
Location: Northern Plains, near Cabinet Road
Time: Sunday, 8:57 pm
“The weather tomorrow will be fair with light clouds moving in from the west. Throughout the week, we'll be seeing those clouds get heavier and rain is expected by Friday. So if you have work to do outside this week, it's a good time to get it done before those rainy days move in. Rake, back to you.”
“Thank you, Canvas. Now we've just received news that a recently jailed Object has been set free again. Is that true, Button?”
“Yep. His name is Lockpick. Apparently he's been jailed three times, and his sentence gets shorter every time! Wonder what that's about. He's really only known as a 'rookie thief' since all he's ever done was rob convenience stores. Whatever's gone on with him, hopefully that time in prison taught him something.”
“On a brighter note, Picture Perfect's newest album, Soaring Kites, has been released. They also mentioned wanting to participate in the Music Festival Showdown Spectacular. I know they'll win with that talent.”
“I always loved seeing the new bands participate too. I love to see how well they can perform, even when just starting out.”
“I agree. Mostly, I just-”
Click.
Lockpick sighed. “I hate listenin' to the news. All they do is gossip, and they're paid to do it.” He turned on his blinker. “The rain'll make it tough to drive if it's too hard.”
He drove in silence. The wind outside was gentle, but he could see the leaves dancing in the breeze. Suddenly, it began to rain. Lockpick turned on his windshield wipers, peeking out the window. The streetlamps flickered and died. Lockpick stopped his car at a stop sign, turned on his hazards, and stepped into the road. The wind was harsh now, and the rain beat on the street.
“What's goin' on here? It's not supposed to rain until Friday!”
He looked up at the sky. There was no clouds to be seen, the stars twinkling faintly. The headlights on his car flickered, glowing brighter. Lockpick glanced at them, confused, then back to the sky. One star shone particularly bright, cutting across the sky. As it passed, the headlights on his car sparked and popped, making him flinch. There was a crash in the distance.
“What was that?!”
The rain stopped, and the power returned. Lockpick got back into his car and tested the lights. They sparked. He closed the door and buckled up, turning off his hazards. He turned on his radio.
“Did anybody see what that was?”
“The power went out so suddenly!”
“And that rain was strange...We'll send out our man on the street, Tie, out to investigate that phenomena. For now, take a listen to Picture Perfect's newest album, Soaring Kites.”
Music began as Lockpick drove off. He kept a close eye on the clouds left behind from the shooting star, making sure he was headed the right direction. His fog lights worked, but it'd only be so long before he's pulled over. He'd have to make this quick. Lockpick glanced around. He was nearing the area the star descended towards the ground, and yet couldn't see a thing.
His car jolted and stopped when he hit something.
His face smacked the steering wheel. “Gah!” He rubbed his face. “Did I hit somethin'?”
He pulled out his phone and stepped outside. He turned on his flashlight and looked at the road in front of his car. There was a blue mass, slightly moving, with a single paler blue leg sticking up from the hole. Lockpick slowly stepped towards it.
“...H-hello? Are you alive?”
It twitched slightly.
“Oh my locker, I just ran over somebody. H-hang on! I'll help you out!”
He hurried back into his car and, ignoring closing his door or buckling up, quickly backed up from the person. He hopped out his car and approached them again.
“Oh gosh, oh gosh. I can't go to jail for murder, that's way too far! Please be alive. Oh gosh...” He poked them with his foot, flinching from them.
“Kh...Gh...”
Lockpick stood a bit straighter when they made a noise, sighing. “Okay. Not dead. Need help there?”
They wriggled their leg.
“Okay, I'll help you out.”
He put his phone, flashlight up, on the hood of his car. He grabbed their leg and pulled at it, straining a bit. He tore them free, falling over backwards, one of his picks hitting the street. He heard them hit the ground as well.
“Ugh...”
Lockpick stood. “That was somethin'. At least you ain't dead.”
They blinked a few times. “Where...where am I?”
Lockpick stared at her. “North...Northern Plains. What are you?”
She didn't look like an Object. Her limbs were too thick, and she more closely resembled a number. “I'm One.” She had a few scrapes and bruises, but nothing seemed broken.
“So it was you I saw.”
“What was me?”
“I saw a meteorite fall, so I followed it. Then I saw you. So it must be you.” Lockpick glanced at his car. “O-oh, I accidentally ran you over. Sorry 'bout that.” He offered a hand.
She flinched away.
He tucked his hands into his pockets. “So anyway...I was heading home. Wanna hitch a ride? I don't wanna leave you out here on your lonesome.”
She glanced towards his car. “Really? You would...do that?”
“Yeah. We can chit chat on the way. Just git in.”
She followed him to the car and, seeing he was taking the seat on the left, she headed to the right side. He entered and opened the door for her. She sat down and closed the door, albeit with a bit of a struggle considering she had to use her foot to do so. He buckled up, so she did too. He started the car, and she watched him with curiosity. He drove off.
“Dunno how, but your crash broke my headlights. I'll need to get them replaced. Thankfully, I know how to.”
One looked at the dashboard. “What is this? I've never seen anything-”
“Don't touch anything in my car, kay? I'll put on the radio or something if you want.”
“N-no. You don't need to. You said you wanted to talk...right?”
“Oh. Yeah. My name's Lockpick.”
“And I'm One.”
“You fell outta the sky, right?”
“I think so? Honestly, nothing's really clear right now. My head hurts.”
“I'll turn on the radio then. Music should help clear your head.”
“Maybe.”
Lockpick turned on the radio, and Button spoke first. “Tie, what's the status?”
Tie spoke, his distant voice implying he was speaking through a phone. “I found the trail, but it doesn't look like anything's here. There's a hole in the ground and some broken glass, but that's it.”
“So you mean to say,” Canvas said, “that the meteor got up and walked away?”
“It seems so. The crater is proof enough there was something there.”
“Does this mean it was alien? Are we in danger?”
“I'm not sure. Maybe-”
One turned off the radio.
“Are you okay?” Lockpick glanced at her. “You have some stress lines formin'.”
“I-I'm okay. I just need some time to...to breathe.”
“Okay. Just fall asleep or somethin', I don't care. Feel better.”
One leaned back in the chair, staring at the darkness through the windshield. “...Wake me up when we stop.”
“Fine.”