#and yes this is about benny the spaceman

[abcwordsurge]

oh, I found a new character I like! yay! time to go on ao3, click on their tag, go to filters, and search for every variation of aspec that I can think of

[ternfic]

Bluebird

Chapter Six: Neobedouin

Benny whined as Metalbeard grabbed him about the waist and hauled him away from attempt #47, squirming in the captain’s hold. “But- spaceship!” he pleaded.

“Not now, lad. Can’t risk ye gettin’ caught by Bad Cop.” It was a familiar argument by now. Benny pouted and slumped in his hold, trying his best to be dead weight, but Metalbeard wasn’t the least bit deterred. Gravity hadn’t had a proper hold on Benny since his awakening. “Besides, I’ve got a surprise for ye.”

“Surprise?” The spaceman perked up again at that, spaceship forgotten for the time being. “What sort of surprise?” Metalbeard released him when he made it back to the helm, and Benny hauled himself up on the railing, swinging his feet.

“Ye hear of Cloud Cuckooland?”

“A few times,” Benny confirmed. “What is it?”

“It be a safe haven for Master Builders, or so they say,” Metalbeard answered. “Tis bein’ built by a princess from a kingdom far across the seas, I hear, someplace untouched by Lord Business’ reign. How she heard of our plight, I couldn’t tell ye, but I be glad for some help. Some lass who goes by ‘Unikitty’, whatever that means.”

“She sounds like fun already,” Benny said, grinning.

“Captain! Rainbow ahead!” the lookout called down.

“Rainbow?? Why’s that important?”

“Tis how ye find Cloud Cuckooland!” Metalbeard crowed as he sailed straight for it. Benny gasped in surprise as the ship sailed straight up the rainbow, flailing as he fell backwards off his perch.

“Oh!”

“Quit playin’ around, lad,” Metalbeard told him, looking down at him as he lay sprawled on the deck.

“Oh, but it’s just so comfy down here.”

“That be enough o’ yer sass.” Benny snickered and sat up, looking around.

“Well I get the ‘cloud’ part for sure. You’re certain this is it?”

“Aye. We just have to give the secret knock!” He marched over and rapped his hook against the door, a single loud blow.

“…That’s it? That’s the secret knock?” Benny cackled. “It’s so simple!”

“Sometimes the simplest solution be the best,” Metalbeard said, though he was also grinning. The door swung open, granting them entrance.

“Whoa,” Benny said.

“Aye,” Metalbeard agreed.

“Okay, I get the ‘cuckooland’ part now too, this is just…”

“Too much?”

“A bit.”

“HIIIIII! Welcome to Cloud Cuckooland~!”

Benny yelped, leaping into the air- and staying there. A half-unicorn, half-cat hybrid about the size of a tiger had leapt down right before them, smiling brightly. “Ohh wow, you can float too! You know, we have a couple other guys here that dress like you that can do that-”

“Ken and Lenny are here?!” Benny squealed, grinning. “I haven’t seen them in forever!”

“Oh, you’re already friends! That’s great!”

“I see why ye be called ‘Unikitty’ now, Princess,” Metalbeard chuckled. “That be yer actual name, or just a nickname?”

“A bit of both!” she chirped. “Names have power, you see, so everyone in the Unikingdom has a second name! What are your names?”

“I be Captain Metalbeard, and this be Benny Blue,” the pirate introduced them. “Tis a pleasure to meet ye, Princess.”

“Oh, you don’t have to be so formal with me! Rick does it all the time and it’s so annoying. You’re Master Builders, so you’re my friends now! You can just call me Unikitty! Come on, let me give you the grand tour!” She trotted ahead of them, giving an obviously rehearsed spiel as she showed them around. The place was total anarchy, somewhat surprising for someone raised as royalty, but Benny found it growing on him.

“So how do you keep this place floating?” he asked, craning his neck as he tried to catch a glimpse of everything. There was so much to see, it was almost impossible. Metalbeard pressed his hand to Benny’s back to nudge him along.

“Your friends have actually been a great help with that! They rigged up our Silly Cloud Stabilizers! I guess having experience with spaceships helped a lot! They said having you around would help a lot more though- you’re an engineer?”

At the mention of spaceships, Benny’s attention snapped back to her. He blinked as the question processed a second later. “Oh- yeah! I’m an engineer.”

“What do engineers do?”

Benny snickered. “Well we’re a lot like Master Builders- we design and make stuff. But it takes engineers a lot longer to build stuff ‘cause we don’t have a Master Builder’s matter manipulation ability so we have to wait on all our parts to be fabricated.”

Unikitty paused, giving him a strange look. “You say that as if you’re not a Master Builder.”

“Sorry, it’s- a thing I’m still getting used to, honestly.”

The strange look didn’t go away. “So you’re saying you didn’t train to become one.”

“No, it um… just kind of happened.” There were a few murmurs of disapproval from the crew that had Unikitty outright frowning. They fell silent, and she smiled again.

“Well that’s okay! You’re still a Master Builder, no matter how you got to be one!” She still had a weird look in her eyes, though, that promised they’d be having a chat about it later. “Come on, let’s go find your friends!”

[p33p33p00p00]

Tell things about lego movies!!!! I wanna know!!! :DDD (bls)

YES FINALLY SOMEONE ASKED

OKAY SO

in the original script for the lego movie, good cop didnt exist and bad cop died because BENNY KILLED HIM

speaking of benny, he had a best friend named moppy who was. a mop. what isolation does to a man/j

OH AND BENNY IS CANONICALLY MLM!!! his boyfriends name is lenny (the pink spaceman) ::::3

unikitty didnt exist, and was originally a guy named Krazy King Karl. oh and in the og script she dated metalbeard??? the original script was questionable to say the least

THE DETAILS. HOLY FUCK. THE MOVIE IS ENTIRELY CGI BUT THERES FINGERPRINTS ON THE LEGOS AND DUST N SHIT. THE ANIMATION IS AIDNIFNDIDN

the credits scene after the movie ends took like 2 months to make and kts entirely stop motion!!! i lofe stop motipn its so cool and ajdhdksjjshdus<333

the line where vitruvius says something like "you gotta write all of that down because i aint gonna remember any of it" was actually morgan freeman getting frustrated at his lines getting changed but the directors left it in because funny ::::]

something NOT lego movie related but lego has released a 3d printed lego size copy of the original wooden lego duck from when the company was first invented. THE MOUTH EVEN OPENS N CLOSES

its sadly only available in denmark ::::(

[soupsshoops]

"We're floating away, my body's in space." "We are going home."

X

[mintytrifecta]

I'm sorry but it's the funniest concept to me that Benny, who has canonically built over 700 spaceships, doesn't have an engineering degree

[rejectclone]

In retrospect, it’s VERY odd how out of all of the minifigures in the Man Upstair’s collection, Benny is one of the oldest that he owns, alongside having the most considerable damage to his torso print and of course his helmet’s chinstrap. Granted, later on some other minifigures began to suffer from more scuff damage on their torso/face prints and accessories from Finn’s heavy usage of playing with them, but Benny is still arguably seen as the most severely damaged (his damage got even more worse during the timeskip between TLM1 and 2, considering he has also lost his original arm and got it replaced with a more modern piece, thus turning him into a kitbashed purist custom)

For a person who originally wanted everything to be PERFECT and clean, why would the Man Upstairs even have a defected minifigure in their displays or even in a storage bin? The rest of their Classic Space minifigs are seen in pretty good condition, as Benny seems to be the only one who endured paint chipping and cracking.

Considering that the Man Upstairs seemed to be passionate for Lego for a long time, as most of the realms are across different themes across different eras (Classic Castle, Wild West/Western, Ninjago, DC Superheros, a hodgepodge of different eras of Town/CITY, etc) it is entirely possible that he received Benny and the rest of the spacemen in what could be one of his oldest Lego sets!

It’s maybe the reason WHY Benny ended up the way he is, simply because the Man Upstairs was just a little kid at the time, and genuinely loved playing with Benny and the rest of the spacemen like a normal kid would. Benny was probably their favorite, and thus they have been heavily worn down by constant play. The probably kept Benny out of pure nostalgia from all of the memories they had of being so carefree about their builds and how they played with their minifigures, before maturing and changing his view on builds entirely.

(Perhaps, the day in which he accidentally cracked Benny’s helmet was also the day in which Benny got ‘lost’ and was seemingly abandoned by his fellow spacemen….. it could also have been the event in which the Man Upstairs became wary of how easy it is to get too carried away with playing with Lego, and thus began to purely follow the instructions and left all of his collection purely for display instead of actually playing with any of it…..)

[kowbojki]

which benny r u today

[backintothematrix-archive]

The cause, the kid, the course, the charm, and the curse!

I did threaten to write this. Here's Rex's trial and sentencing. It's under a read more because it's so damn long.

He was found fairly quickly by one of the members of the Assembly of Master Builders as he was trying to access his ship. The reports from Emmet and Lucy stated that Dangervest was not supposed to be a problem anymore. Why was here now? Oh well. This just created a new problem: what to do with such a destructive man.

The first thing the Assembly did was lock him in a makeshift prison, built by the best Builders be impenetrable and unbreakable. It was guarded 24/7 by the strongest figs they could find. There were some objections, of course; some arguments that they didn't do this to Lord Business. But Rex was a wild card, dangerous and unhinged. It was easy to silence the naysayers.

Rex could have called Emmet at any time during his incarceration. He didn't want to. He couldn't face him, not like this. He barely wanted to face him in the laundry room the day he came back. You couldn't expect Rex to want Emmet to see him under lock and key like this, curled up in a corner and waiting for... what? Final judgement?

That judgement came soon enough. He was soon taken by a Friends and Duplo guard to a rebuilt and very sparkly dog dome. His face fell when he saw the place, memories of the last time he met the Master Builders in that building hitting him like a crushing wave.

He was pushed to the center of the circular room and he could almost feel the Piece of Resistance on his back again. The gazes of the other Master Builders felt more cutting now, though. It was Abraham Lincoln who spoke first, his voice barely cutting through Rex's memories.

"Rex Dangervest. You stand accused of starting Ourmommageddeon and nearly destroying the world as we know it. How do you plea?"

Why bother with this fake courtroom posturing? Rex took a slow breath, finally digging himself out of his thoughts.

"Why don't you answer that, big guy? Ya clearly know the answer." His tone was defensive and defiant but there was an underlying fear mixed in. This reply earned a volley of offended whispers from the gathered Builders.

"Answer the question, Dangervest! How do you plea to the charges?" Rex couldn't be sure who shouted that, but it really didn't matter to him. This was all clearly a game. Someone up there was introduced to the courtroom dramas Finn and Bianca's mother occasionally snuck downstairs to watch.

"I'm not gonna plea anythin'. What are ya gonna do? Make me?" He kept his tone defiant as she scanned for familiar faces. Soon, his eyes fell on Benny. The one person last time who was willing to vouch for him. This time, though... He could tell the other was disappointed. Benny didn't even know who he really was and he looked so heartbreakingly disappointed in him.

"We can so make you, Dangervest." A different voice spoke, this one from someone he didn't recognize at all. Clearly, they were already letting Systarians in. Others chimed in with demands for Rex to make a plea.

"Fine. I'll play your little game. Guilty. You an' I both know I started it. Woulda finished it, too." He kept his tone flat, despite the feeling of guilt that threatened to choke him out from his throat. He was, to his credit, a good actor. More whispers from the Assembly. More heartbreak when he turned to look at Benny.

"Even the accused admits to his part in Ourmommageddeon. Is there more we need to do here?" Gandalf's voice made Rex's eye twitch. Did he always sound so damn pompous?

"Yes!" The voice of his former spaceman friend chimed in. "Shouldn't he give us his side?" The color found its way to Rex's face. Once again, Benny came to his defense. Even if the spaceman didn't know who he was.

"Intent means nothing here. He started Ourmommageddeon! That's a big deal!" Damn you, Abraham Lincoln.

"We gave President Business a second chance and he tried to Kragle us! How is that better than the Bin of Storaj?" Rex again couldn't place who said that. His focus was mainly on Benny and Gandalf.

"Because we say so, that's why!" Gandalf banged his staff against the floor, like that helped solidify his authority. The old man seemed unmoved.

"Aw, come on! Let him speak!" Benny pleaded, the voice of mercy in this kangaroo court.

"Alright, Dangervest. Speak on your behalf. "

Rex could feel everyone's eyes on him. He had their attention and took full advantage, painting the picture as vividly as he could. He held nothing back and, by the end, was shaking. He didn't like being outed like this, but there wasn't much of a choice here. Maybe the truth would grant him leniency. When his story was done, he was sent away with two different guards back to his cell, waiting for the punishment for his crimes.

The next week felt too long and too fast at the same time. He was present for every testimony, every nail in his coffin. Each person's side, depicting the ripple effects of Rex's rage induced actions made the Matrix he was dragged into feel more real. To him, it was all NPCs crying for justice, all of them imaginary pawns in a teenager's...tween's?... maybe both?... mental court of opinion. But the more the trial dragged on, the more he had to answer to his crimes, the more real it all felt. He felt weaker with each story of rebuilding after his shot against their gods. Not even this fact helped keep him from finally breaking down at the last day of testimony. He was glad Emmet wasn't there. He couldn't see Rex like this, looking so weak.

----------

He couldn't sleep so he attempted to connect to the Man Upstairs. Maybe if he did that, he could bend the verdict to his favor. He sat in his corner and closed his eyes, doing his best to clear his mind. It used to be so easy! Why couldn't he clear...

His mind. After what felt like a decade, it was empty enough that he could see into the other side of the veil between worlds. What he saw, though, was not what he expected.

He saw a woman's face. She had dark hair that was the length and style of his own, but with blue and pink highlights in the bangs like his former girlfriend. She didn't notice him as she checked her phone. "There. Never thought I'd be installing this again." She threw on some headphones and bounced her head to an unheard song. She soon started singing.

"Because the Hook brings you back! I ain't tellin' you no lie!"

Before he could register the song, he was pulled out of the vision by the guards. Who was that girl? She wasn't Finn or Bianca. Didn't matter. He had bigger things to think about.

He was soon at the dog dome one last time. Rex felt sick from worry, but he kept his composure. He scanned the stands where his former peers sat, trying to read his fate on their faces but couldn't.

"Rex Dangervest, we have heard testimony from the people of Syspocalypstar about what chaos your crimes have wrought. Are you expecting mercy from this court?" Gandalf seemed particularly melodramatic today.

Rex shrugged. "You can do whatever ya wanna. I'm not expectin' nothin'." He sounded as weak as he felt. Just get this over with.

"We have taken your tale into consideration, however we do need to make sure you really have learned your lesson. You are to help rebuild the Downstairs Realms to the way they were before untill such a day as this Assembly believes your debt to society has been paid. We will assign you to a new place every month. If you are to move away from your current residence, we must be informed. Is this understood, Rex Dangervest?" Abraham Lincoln read this sentence from an official looking scroll.

Rex felt a little relief. "Yeah. That works for me."

[kirbypegasister]

002 for Coppernauts

002 | Send me a ship and I will tell you:

HAHHAHAHAHHA YES I LOVE THEM!!!!!

When I started shipping them: February of this year, my dear friend @sunnypone got me into it

My thoughts: even though there’s little to no dialogue for them they’re just so cute, like there’s so much you can do with them and i love a ship like that c:

What makes me happy about them: i just love the idea of a crazy hyper spaceman having feelings for this “bipolar” (we’ll just call him that) cop

What makes me sad about them: THERE’S NOT ENOUGH SCREEN TIME WITH THEM

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: they make bad cop have absolutely no character development and that really bothers me, I imagine him being this tough and rugged cop who’s gone through so much and then benny comes into his life and it just makes him wanna forget everything that ever happened to him so he can focus on something new, that HARDLY gets delivered :c 

Things I look for in fanfic: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AND HOW THEY BECAME A THING!!!!

My wishlist: just let them be on screen together more :c

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: benny can be with metal because i have a very soft spot for metalbenny and i wouldn’t mind seeing cop with emmet c:

My happily ever after for them: cop learns to become a better man and is just ready to take on this new life with Benny every step of the way

[thisspaceintentionallyleftblank]

Try, Try Again (pt. 3)

Guess who saw the Lego Movie 2 again today?? I’m hoping the residual excitement will be enough to fuel a burst of writing, so that I can post stuff despite needing to complete approximately 12 billion assignments for school. We’ll soon see how idealistic of a notion that is... 

Anyways, here’s the chapter.

(Chapter 1) | (Chapter 2)

Chapter 3 (3001 words)

Lucy was currently perched in her favorite spot in all of Apocalypseburg. Up on Lady Un-Liberty’s torch, with her legs hanging over the edge and the cool wind ruffling through her hair, everything seemed to slow down momentarily.

On the city streets, which stretched out far below her feet, everything was constantly rowdy, chaotic, and loud. It was excitingly surely, and all wrestling and fighting could be fun, but sometimes, Lucy just preferred coming up here instead.

Of course, it also made an excellent spot for brooding.

For Lucy, brooding was an art form. It was edgy and mature and, if you did it right, people would recognize that you were edgy and mature as well. On a basic level, brooding was a bit like poetry. It all came down to the words that you used, and the way that you said them. It was a skill that Lucy had in bounds, and was one of the reasons why she’d been such a good songwriter when she was younger.

Reaching up, Lucy absentmindedly pulled at a strand of her hair. It curled around her finger, the dark color shimmering in the sunlight. She had moved on from her pop star career a long time ago, but sometimes she found herself expected to see a different color in the mirror. The dye job had been necessary, as she reminded herself frequently. She’d had no choice but to change herself in order to be taken seriously by the other Master Builders. When they’d first seen her, looking like the preppy idol on a Business-brand record label, they hadn’t seen a rebel or a freedom fighter. All they’d seen was a symbol of the establishment. They’d seen her as the girl she wasn’t anymore - the girl that she couldn’t be anymore.     

With a quick glance at her phone, she checked the time. Emmet would be arriving any minute with their morning coffee. If she started brooding now, she probably wouldn’t be finished by the time he got here, meaning that he’d likely try and join in again.

Emmet had… tried brooding with her a few times, but usually those attempts just devolved into him talking about a random topic in a slightly more gravelly voice. To be fair, the approach had worked reasonably well the time he’d aired his grievances with Jeff, but the rest of his topics, such as his views on toasters and hi-vis vests, had been significantly less successful.  

Lucy sighed. She wasn’t really in the mood to brood today anyways, and had basically resorted to waiting up here for Emmet to show up and help take her mind off things. She liked it here in Apocalypseburg, much more than she had ever liked living in Bricksburg. There, she had been forced to choose between either being a cog in the Business machine or a criminal constantly on the run for her life. In Apocalypseburg, she felt like she could be more herself than she had been for a while. Despite the newfound sense of freedom, the city could still get overwhelming sometimes.

Whenever it did, sitting up here with Emmet was like coming up for air.

She checked the time again. At some point during her ruminations, the clock had shifted well past eight and begun closing in on nine. A sharp sense of worry started seeping into the back of her mind. Emmet had never been late before. Ok, well, he had, but it had only been the once, and even then it was because he had fallen into the sewer baby pit and had taken over an hour to pick out all the little spikes.  

Not for the first time this morning, Lucy caught herself peering over the edge of the torch platform, down towards the base of the statue. Below her, a well timed tumbleweed trundled past, clearly signifying the lack of any happy-go-lucky ex-construction workers.

Uugh, she thought with a deliberate roll of her eyes, I’d better go find him before he gets hurt. The dread that had started building settled slightly at the thought. In a flash, she turned from the edge and started running down the statue. With a little under an hour left before she needed to meet up with Batman and patrol, she ought to have enough time to ask a few folks around town if they’d seen anything.

As usual, the streets of Apocalypseburg were populated with crowds of people, clouds of desert dust, and the odd barfight or two that had gotten wild enough to spill out onto the street. Lucy strode confidently through, easily sidestepping groups of wrestling people and hopping over the several prone figures that littered the ground. Emmet’s favorite coffee shop was down this way, just past Benny’s shop, which made him a good first candidate for her search.   

Predictably, Benny was out front of his shop, working as always on improving Metalbeard’s new body. His workshop consisted mainly of a fenced-in platform, which had been lofted for the twofold reason of avoiding the madness of the street below, as well as preventing Benny from accidently setting another passerby on fire.   

“Hey Benny,” Lucy called out, as she expertly leapt up onto the platform.

“Lucy!” Benny cheered. He whirled around to greet her, dropping the wrench he’d been holding in his excitement.

“Yar!” Metalbeard cried out as the tool tumbled down into the construct of his body, ricocheting off various components before clattering to the ground.  

“Oops,” Benny laughed. “Sorry about that...” Turned back towards the pirate, he floated up slightly, such that he could rummage around, searching for his wrench.

“So Lucy,” Metalbeard addressed her while staunchly ignoring the spaceman mucking about in his guts. “Are ye just popping by for a visit, or was there something ye needed?”

“I was wondering if you guys had seen Emmet yet today.” Lucy stepped forwards as she spoke, picking up the wrench from where it had fallen and passing it to Benny. “He was supposed to meet me at the top of the statue a while ago, but never showed up.”  

“Thanks,” Benny took the wrench from her and twirled it absentmindedly in his hands as he spoke. “Yeah, Emmet came by this morning. He had his coffee, was listening to his music, and told me that he appreciates our friendship. You know, the usual!”

Concern creased Lucy’s brow. “Do you know when that was?”

“Earlier than usual,” Metalbeard grumbled. “Much too early for that accursed ‘pop song’ he insists on playing...”

Benny chuckled in agreement. “Yeah, the line at Larry’s must have been pretty short. It was maybe a quarter to eight.” At the thought, Benny frowned. “Do you think something happened to him?”

“I’m not sure,” Lucy sighed, unable to keep the worry out of her voice. “Just… let me know if you see him, ok?”

“Can do, lassee.”

“Sure thing!”

“Thanks guys,” Lucy gave a weak grin and leapt over the fence, falling to the street and leaving the two to their work.  

In an attempt to follow Emmet’s footsteps, Lucy continued down the street, occasionally pulling someone aside to ask them increasingly worried questions. The sewer babies had seen him, but didn’t know where he’d gone. Similarly, neither Chainsaw Dave, nor Crazy Cat Lady, nor any of her cats had any idea where Emmet could have gotten off to.

She had just finished questioning Battle Debra, who hadn’t even actually seen Emmet at all, when a dark shadow engulfed them both. In the next moment, Batman swooped down beside them.

“Hey Lucy,” he growled, leaning against a nearby wall in a calculated effort to appear nonchalant. “You ready to go, or whatever?”

“Yeah,” Lucy sighed. “Let’s just make this quick, ok?”

Hurt by her dismissive tone, especially considering how cool his entrance had just been, Batman’s permanent frown deepened even further. “Uh, why?”

“It’s just that Emmet didn’t show up this morning. I’ve been trying to find him, but...” She trailed off momentarily, before adding bruskly, “I’m sure it’s nothing, but you know.”

Batman grunted. “He’s probably just working on his little house.”

Lucy snapped her head up in surprise. “His what?”

“His little house. You know, the one he’s building out in the wasteland.”

“No, I don’t know.” Lucy pulled at her hair in frustration. “What, did he tell you? Did you see him this morning?”

“Pshh, no.” Batman smiled. “It’s like, supposed to be a surprise, but I am the world's greatest detective after all.”

Lucy scowled at him, and his smug expression drooped slightly.

“Uh,” he faltered. “I also have like, a super huge telescope, so it was pretty easy to find.”

Lucy groaned. “Ok then, fine. It's just… weird that he didn't mention it earlier. Usually he tells me everything.”

Batman shrugged. “I mean, I think it was supposed to be a surprise, uh, for you.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah…”

“Um,” Lucy coughed into her hand, trying to clear her throat and in no way trying to hide the blush blooming on her cheeks. “I mean, I guess he’ll just tell me about it when he's ready…”

Noticing the emotion steadily creeping into her voice, she hastily changed the subject. “Uh, we should definitely stop talking about this and go patrol, right?”

“Oh yeah,” Batman said. He pulled out a remote control from his belt and, with the click of a button, the Bataclysm shot out of a nearby alley, screeching to a halt beside them. In a fluid motion, the two flipped up their respective doors, leapt inside the vehicle and clicked the doors back into place. With a gratuitous squeal of the engine, the sleek black custom vehicle revved up and took off into the wasteland.

The process of “patrolling” usually entitled driving around aimlessly and fighting any random aliens that showed up. Whenever she patrolled with Benny or Metalbeard, they would routinely get distracted combing through the wreckage for cool pieces. But Batman had long since had collected all the black and dark gray pieces that he needed, and as such, he now went on patrols mainly to beat up the alien creatures. He was, as he described it, simply “working out his inner rage and turmoil through meaningless physical violence.”

Lucy wasn't really sure why she went on patrols. She wasn't really looking for supplies or a fight. It just felt like… the right thing to do. Like something that she had to do it, so that someone else wouldn't need to. In a way, it made her feel like she could protect their new home.

It made her anxious, the way that Emmet kept asking to tag along. She'd told him multiple times that she'd bring pieces back for him, and she knew that he didn't like fighting, but still, he kept asking for some indiscernible reason. Glumly, she looked out the Bataclysm’s tinted windows, watching the ruined skeletons of shattered skyscrapers as they slipped past. What was it out here that Emmet found so alluring?

Regardless of his motivations, she already knew that Emmet would likely never get to run patrols. He was just… too sweet. He always had been. The way that he greeted everyone so cheerfully? The way that his grin never seemed to falter? The way that he still liked fun popular music? Like, who did that?

Not Lucy, that much was for sure. Lucy was cool and tough and edgy now.

And Emmet? He just wasn't.

She had loved that about him, but at some point it had just transformed into a source of worry. The world had made it abundantly clear that everything fun and colorful was in danger here and, instead of changing himself accordingly in order to stay safe, like any totally sane and rational person would, Emmet had just stayed Emmet.

Lucy sighed, pressing her forehead into the cool glass of the window.

“Are you brooding right now?” Batman asked, turning to glower in her direction. “Because it’s my car, and the rule is that only the driver gets to brood.”

“I’m just… thinking.” She mumbled in a half-hearted reply.

“Oh, good. I wasn’t planning on thinking, so you can do that if you want.” Turning his focus back to driving, he cranked a dial on the dashboard, sending a shockwave of pulsating heavy metal music blasting out of the back seats to help fill the awkward silence between them.

Ignoring him, Lucy went back to staring listlessly out the window. Maybe they'd encounter some aliens, and she could try distracting herself from her myriad concerns and personal insecurities with violence, like Batman always does.

Come on, she thought for perhaps the first time in the five years they'd been under siege. Come on, let's see some aliens.

There weren't any aliens.

In the end, all that Lucy had accomplished was sitting in a testosterone and leather scented car for two hours while listening to Batman talk about the power of abs or something. All in all, the experience had done little to help ease her thoughts on Emmet.

To make matters worse, her stomach had begun growling something fierce. Caving to her body’s demands, she decided to postpone her search for Emmet until after a quick stop at her favorite lunchtime cafe - Le Pain.

“Hey, Lucy!” As she entered, a familiar voice shook her out of her thoughts.

“Emmet!” She cried, a fond grin forming on her cheeks. “I’ve been looking for you!”

Emmet laughed, rubbing the back of his neck in that nervous way he does. “Sorry about this morning...”

“But! Um,” He gestured towards the table he was sitting at, which had been clearly set for two. “I was hoping that I might be able to make up for it with some lunch?”

“Sure,” Lucy said, taking the seat across from him.  

“How was your patrol?” Emmet asked.

“Eh, pretty uninteresting.” Lucy replied. She reached for one of the menus resting in the center of the table, and began perusing through the lunch items. “Apparently Batman has a kid now, but other than that nothing really happened.”

The waiter, a former french mime whose face had been repainted so to resemble a skull, walked up to take their orders.

“I'll have an abnormally large croissant and a black coffee, please.” Lucy ordered, passing her menu back to the waiter.

“Same for me,” Emmet added, earning him a skeptical look from Lucy.

“Are you sure?” She asked, doubt apparent in her tone. “I thought you didn't like black coffee?”

“Well,” Emmet said, with a crooked, almost shy smile. “I’ve decided to take it up recently. So that I can be tougher, like you guys.”

“Oh?” Lucy’s expression reflected her pleasant surprise. “I'm glad to hear it.”

After a minute or two, the waiter brought back their food, and the pair started to eat. As usual, everything tasted fine, but had a rather gritty texture. Living in a desert, there wasn't much a chef could do to keep out the sand - which, as everybody knew, was coarse, rough, irritating, and got everywhere.

“Hey Emmet,” Lucy said after a moment. “Was there… a particular reason you couldn't hang out this morning?”

“Oh,” he replied. “Well, I was going to tell you later, but I've actually started training. As part of becoming tougher, that is.”

“Training?” Lucy asked.

“Yeah, like lifting weights and doing backflips and stuff. You know, tough guy stuff.”  

“Ok, right. That makes sense.” Lucy chastised herself for worrying. Here she was, worrying over Emmet for being too soft and vulnerable when in reality he was off working at becoming better and stronger. She felt almost foolish now for having run all over town looking for him.

Across from her, Rex continued to pick at his food. He hadn’t really eaten much since… before everything, and he was finding the experience more uncomfortable than he remembered. Logically, he knew that he should be making more conversation, asking Lucy about her day and her thoughts, and a billion other things like Emmet always had, but he was struggling to think of any conversation topics. He knew what kinds of questions he really wanted to ask her… but this Lucy wasn’t the one that had left him in Undar that had foiled his plans… so he knew he'd never get a satisfactory answer.

A moment ago, he’d seen the worry on Lucy’s face when she’d asked where he’d been that morning. Then, as he explained that he was training, that he was tough now, her concern  had vanished, replaced with a soft smile. And now, as he finished his coffee, her smile had only grown bigger.

She seemed overjoyed… ecstatic that “Emmet” was finally acting tough, just like she’d wanted him to be.

Rex understood, of course. His time in Undar had been educational in that way, constantly hammering in the fact that being tough was the only way to protect yourself. Emmet needed to learn that; he needed to see that his cheerfulness and his optimism were idealistic, unsustainable, and paving the path towards suffering.

But, for some reason, the thought was still upsetting. Anger roiled in the pit of his gut, turbulent and boiling hot, making it harder and harder to maintain Emmet’s constant dopey grin.

For a moment, it almost felt like he was resentful at how ready Lucy was to accept that Emmet was changing, how excited she was for him to totally overhaul his personality. Obviously, he couldn't be upset about that though, since he agreed with the sentiment. Rex had been responsible for sending Emmet away for training, after all.

He was just… still upset that she had ruined his plans last time.

That was all.

Confident in his identification of the feeling’s source, Rex could then manipulate it, burying it underneath layers of swagger and machismo.  He had years of practice dealing with these kinds of emotions and had long since perfected the art of hiding and ignoring them. As such, his disguise remained perfect, his painted smile never wavering.

[justa-simplefangirl]

Dipper, Spider-Ham, Zane, and Benny!

(note; I can’t post any pics here because my laptop is acting weird so I’ll be just skipping the “favourite picture of them” part)Mason “Dipper” Pines;Favourite thing about them - how he’s able to put others before himself - as many people pointed out, he often does things for others (whenever forced or not) that cost him things he wanted (also, I relate to him so often I lost count after about the 3rd episode)Least favourite thing - I dunno, probably how he tried so hard to be appreciated that he put others in danger (I don’t find it to be that bad, but he really needed to work on it)Favourite line - “Look, real life stinks sometimes, ok, I’m not gonna lie. But there’s a better way to get through it than denial, and that’s with the help from people who care about you.” or “If you’ve ever taken a roadtrip through the Pacific Northwest, you’ve probably seen a bumper sticker for a place called Gravity Falls. It’s not on any maps, and most people have never heard of it. Some people thing it’s a myth. But if you’re curious, don’t wait. Take a trip, find it. It’s out there somewhere in the woods, waiting.” brOTP - him and Mabel, him and Wendy, him and Soos- you know what? pretty much everyone who he’s on good terms withOTP - probably DipificanOTP - anything incestious, pedophilic or plain toxicRandom Headcanon - once Ford found out about his real name, he’d call him by it whenever something happened (when they were alone, of course)Unpopular opinion - I really liked “lucky” cap from the 1st episode (ok I don’t know if this is that unpopular but I just wanted to share)Songs I associate with them - anything about mystery or wanting to prove himself

Peter Porker/Spider-Ham;Favourite thing about them - either his cartoony art style or the way John Mulaney brings even more life into the role with his acting - they’re both on top for meLeast favourite thing - most likely his lack of screentime (fortunally the crew’s fixing that with future plans but I still wanna see more)Favourite line - “You’ve got a problem with cartoons?”brOTP - him and Noir (also maybe him and Peni?)OTP - probably him and his dimension’s MJ, but I don’t know enough about the dimension he’s from to be more specificnOTP - anything pedophilic or toxicRandom Headcanon - John Mulaney has a “totem” in every dimension - like the Spider-Totems. He’s super proud to be both a Spider and a Mulaney Totem but if you’ll catch him on the other one, it’ll be a heck of a ride.Unpopular opinion - I’m not a fan of HamNoir mainly because of the age gap (we know he’s about the same age as Peter B…)Songs I associate with them - “I can’t decide” for the stranger headcanons (except “live or die” is replaced with “speak or mute” because he won’t let anyone talk about the Double-Totem thing)

Zane Julien;Favourite thing about them - I really admire how much logic he tries to display even in the harshest Times (sure, he’s a Robot/Nindroid, but it still counts)Least favourite thing - I don’t really like how he stuck with the more robotic look in the later seasons as it partially leaves out his want to feel real emotions (yes, the look is super cool, but I didn’t want to leave a blank just now)Favourite line - “Everyone is different, that’s what makes us unique”brOTP - him and Nya, him and ColeOTP - PIXane (also maybe Cole x Zane, but I’m not sure)nOTP - I haven’t heard of much wrong ships (I just don’t ship them that much), so I don’t think I’ve really got any hated ships for himRandom Headcanon - before finding out he’s not a human, he’d often try to write down just how old he is (he assumed he’s around the same age as the other Ninja, but before the reveal he never got a more detailed date)Unpopular opinion - I don’t really have any if I’m ment to be honestSongs I associate with them - anything about honour I guess?

Benny/Blue Spaceman from the 1980s;Favourite thing about them - how happy he was to finally be able to build a spaceship around the climax of the 1st movieLeast favourite thing - like with Ham, his lack of screentimeFavourite line - “Hi - I’m Ben! But you can call me Benny, and I can build a spaceship!”brOTP - him and Emmet, him and Unikitty, maybe him and Metalbeard?, and him and his space friends (they didn’t get nearly any screentime, but I like to imagine what it’d be like if they did)OTP - him and Lenny or him and MetalbeardnOTP - I dunno - I don’t think I have anyRandom Headcanon - after the 2nd part, he organized a special club for all the people with not-so-popular or shut down hobbies (he hosts it every Saturday)Unpopular opinion - at first I was kinda weirded out by his Systar glasses? I dunno, I like them now but back then for me it was just like… wha?Songs I associate with them - … “Don’t stop me now” when he finally gets to build a spaceship.

[ternfic]

Bluebird

Chapter Five: Obsession

Benny had been depressed to part ways with Ken and Lenny just several months later. They’d stuck around long enough to make sure he could handle a life on the run, and then returned to Cape Space. Bad Cop had finally given up on searching the realm for him by then, but not on searching for him, so he couldn’t stay with them. He didn’t think he could bear being the reason they got caught. It also would have been too tempting to stick around, when Director Kenning had declared him grounded indefinitely, due to medical reasons. So what if his brain didn’t quite work the way it used to? He was still perfectly capable!

But he stayed aboard the Sea Cow as requested, it being his best chance at evading Bad Cop and capture, and tried to settle into the life of a sailor. They’d picked up some new clothes for him during their brief stay in Cape Space to drop off his friends, something more suitable for heat and sun than his space suit. The pirates had laughed at his tropical tee shirts and khaki shorts, but he honestly liked the ridiculous eighties style too much to give it up so easily. (And at any rate, they later admitted, the look suited him.)

Time went on. Some of Metalbeard’s original crew left, annoyed with their captain’s persistent protection of the spaceman who didn’t quite fit in. Not for lack of trying, of course, but all Benny seemed able to talk about was space, and spaceships, and how much he wanted to be back among the stars. The skies had called to him all his life, and he had worked too hard to get himself up there to have to keep his feet on the ground. It wore on him in ways he couldn’t explain.

And finally, one day, he decided enough was enough. He was a Master Builder now, wasn’t he? There was nothing holding him back from just making his own spaceship and going for a flight. So he dug into the ship’s stores of parts, kept handy for when a Master Builder’s urge to create struck, and found the materials he would need. He hauled everything up onto the deck, and got to work.

He was maybe halfway through when he found himself being bodily hauled away. “Hey!” he protested. “Put me down!”

“Benny, what are ye doin’?” the captain asked. Benny glared up at him petulantly.

“Building a spaceship, what’s it look like?”

“Ye think Bad Cop isn’t watchin’ the skies for unauthorized aircraft?”

“It’s not an aircraft, it’s a spacecraft.”

“Either or. He’s still hellbent on catchin’ ye, lad, and I’m not willin’ to let ye risk yerself like that.”

“But…”

“Besides, it be yer Director’s orders, aye? Tis for yer own good.” Benny scowled up at him. So the captain had won this round, but he wasn’t going to just roll over and give up. He waited several weeks, giving Metalbeard a false sense of security, before trying again.

And getting caught again.

And again.

And again.

He screeched in frustration when Metalbeard pulled him away from a half-finished spaceship for the eleventh time.

“Look, I know what it be like, havin’ to give up the things ye love-”

“No, you don’t!” Benny shouted, thrashing to get free. “You still have your ship, and the seas! You still have what calls you, so why can’t I have the stars?!” The fight seemed to leave him then, and Metalbeard finally set him back down. He sat down hard, sniffling. “Why won’t you let me have the stars…”

Metalbeard stared down at him for a bit, before lowering himself to the deck beside the spaceman. They sat in silence for a while. “I’ve a wife and three children,” the captain said at length. Benny wiped his eyes and glanced up at him. “I love them more than anything in the world, even the sea. And… it’s been more than a year since I’ve last seen them. I can’t go home, for fear Bad Cop and Business will take them, and use them against me. I don’t know when I will see them again. Not ‘til this nightmare ends, at least. If I survive it. This feather?” He tapped the decoration at his temple. “Me Pearl gave it to me. Her people don’t use wedding bands; they give a piece of themselves.” He chuckled at the bemused look on Benny’s face as he tried to figure that one out. “Maybe I’ll tell ye someday lad, but I can’t trust ye with that information just yet.”

Benny huffed at him, and glanced back down at his hands. “…I’m sorry,” he finally murmured after a while.

“I don’t blame ye for bein’ upset, lad. I’ve raged me fair share at how unfair everything be, these days. Have ye looked up?”

Benny gave him a puzzled look, then tilted his head back. “…Oh,” he gasped. “It’s so clear tonight…”

Metalbeard smirked. “Why don’t ye get up, take a peep over the railing.” Benny shoved himself to his feet, looking around, eyes wide. The waters were so still, they were almost a mirror, reflecting the pinpoints of light far above.

“You…”

Metalbeard stood, reaching over to gently squeeze his shoulder. “Ye still have yer stars, lad. Ye just had to look, is all.”

Benny sniffled again. “Thanks,” he murmured. “I think I’m going to stay here for a while…”

“Aye lad, just don’t be up too late.” Metalbeard smirked at him. “I’m still puttin’ ye to work in the morning.” Benny snickered.

The spaceship attempts continued after that, though without the desperation that previously accompanied them. It seemed more to be that Master Builder itch that was getting to Benny, giving him the urge to make something. Metalbeard was still vigilant though, just in case.

Crew members continued to come and go with alarming regularity. It wasn’t long before Skeeter was the only member of his original crew left. Loyalty apparently didn’t account for much in the face of a space-obsessed crewmate.

“Sometimes I’m surprised ye still be around,” Metalbeard told Skeeter one day.

“Pfft. Everyone’s got their own methods of coping with this madness, I’m hardly going to let his scare me off. Honestly, most times I wonder if they’re really that annoyed by him, and not just intimidated by all those big, fancy words he throws around.” Metalbeard threw his head back and laughed.

[thisspaceintentionallyleftblank]

Try, Try Again (pt. 4)

(Chapter 1) | (Chapter 2) | (Chapter 3)

Chapter 4 (3524 words)

Lucy was talking about something. She had been since shortly after they left the restaurant. Unfortunately, Rex hadn’t heard a single word that she'd said. At some point, she had taken his hand, and he had started having trouble focusing on her voice or pretty much anything else.

Her hand was cold, but the contact was still enough to make Rex’s palm sweat. It felt clammy and wrong in a way he couldn't describe. A large part of him wanted to squeeze his hand shut, hurting her just enough that she'd pull away, but a distant, objective part of his brain recognized that it wasn't a very “Emmet” thing to do. Currently, it was taking all his focus to remind himself of that fact.

Fortunately, a distraction soon appeared in the form of Benny floating down onto the street to greet them, with Metalbeard's head tucked into his arms.

“Hey guys!” He crowed. “You finally found each other, huh?”

“Yep,” Lucy replied amicably. “Thanks for your help earlier, by the way.”

Rex’s expression twisted in confusion as he turned to address Lucy. “Were you asking around about me?” A twinge of worry shot through him. He’d known that people would have seen Emmet this morning, but if they started prying then his cover story might be at risk.

Lucy didn't seem to notice his concern, too preoccupied with trying to hide her embarrassment over conspicuously worrying about Emmet.

“Uh,” she hastily replied, “I asked, like, a little…”

“It’s a tough world out there, Emmet.” Benny floated over towards the two, coming to rest on Rex’s other side. “We wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you.” The gentle grin on his face spoke to the genuineness of his sentiment.

“Ye gave us quite the scare there, Emmet.” Metalbeard piped up.

Rex laughed uncomfortably. “Well, I’ve got good news then. You guys won't have to worry about me anymore.” He jerked a thumb up towards his chest, and crooked his smile into a cocky smirk. “I’m tough now.”

For a moment, Metalbeard and Benny just stared at him.

“Oh!” They started to laugh. “That's a good one, Emmet!”

“Ye had me going there for but a second, ye scallywag.”

Rex froze. The muscles in his face and arms tensed uncomfortably. The red hot anger that had long been simmering in his chest felt like it was bubbling dangerously close to the surface. Deliberately, he forced himself to breathe through his gritted teeth, worried that if he tried anything more intensive, he would expose his ruse by moving or speaking too forcefully.  

Beside him still, Benny and Metalbeard looked as if they had expected him to join them in laughing, as if he'd deliberately said something funny. When he didn't, their own chuckles faltered.

“Guys,” Lucy said in a reprimanding tone. “Emmet has actually begun training in order to toughen up.” Her grip tightened on his hand. “He’s not joking.”

“Oh,” the spaceman blushed. “Sorry, Emmet.”

“It's just, ye never seemed the type.” Metalbeard muttered.

“But, um, good luck with your training!” With that, Benny launched himself and Metalbeard back up into the air, careening out of the now rather awkward situation.

Lucy watched them go for a moment, before turning towards Emmet with concern in her eyes.

“Are you ok?” She asked in a soft voice, placing her free hand on top of his, holding it captive.

“I’m fine,” Rex insisted, carefully maintaining his congenial grin. “But, um…” He shook his hand free from her grip. “Maybe we shouldn't hold hands. That way people can see that I really am tougher now.”

“Oh,” Lucy stammered, disappointment clear in her voice. “No, yeah, sure. That totally makes sense…”

She coughed awkwardly, lowering her gaze. “Um, anyways, I, uh, still need to meet up with Unikitty today. We’re going over modifications to our rocket launcher prototype.” Stealing a glance up at Rex, she continued hesitantly. “Would- Would you like to come with?”

Rex chuckled. “Shucks, how could I say no to that?”

With a relieved smile, Lucy started off back down the street. As they walked, she found herself surreptitiously looking over at Emmet. He did seem a little tougher, she had to admit, but he had also seemed really hurt earlier. Now, however, any evidence of that hurt had been erased, plastered over with his signature generic grin. He was looking around in a benignly curious way, watching the Apocalypseburg citizens mill about the busy streets.

As she watched him, he turned, abruptly meeting her eyes. Flustered, she flashed him an awkward smile, hoping that he hadn't noticed how she’d been staring. Emmet beamed back, before turning his attention towards the other pedestrians again. Lucy turned away too, but the smile didn't leave her lips. Emmet seemed fine, so obviously he was. If he was going through something, then he’d tell her. She was just… worrying over nothing, as usual.

A familiar note sounded next to her, and Lucy grimaced internally as Emmet began whistling the opening chords of Everything is Awesome.

She barely stifled a groan. Good ol’ Emmet, she thought. Ugh.

*******************

Fortunately, it wasn’t terribly far to Unikitty’s cat tower, only about one and a half renditions of the song. Unfortunately, that was still more than long enough to get the accursed thing irrevocably stuck in Lucy’s head.

Unikitty’s current home was an imposing silhouette. It rose up from the desert sands in a single, tall spire, with an array of overhanging balconies at various levels. Sharp spikes adorned the outer surface in intricate patterns, most of which seemed to originate from the imposing front door. Forged out of dark, metallic pieces, the door had no visible handle; instead, a long, tasseled cord hung inertly at its side.

With a sharp jerk of her arm, Lucy yanked the cord, eliciting a yowl from somewhere inside. After a moment, the door slid upwards, revealing Unikitty waiting behind it.

“Lucy! Emmet!” She exclaimed brightly. “Come on in!” Her expression shifted suddenly, rapidly growing angry. “Make sure you wipe your feet first,” she commanded, before her face relaxed and she stepped back inside.

“Hey Unikitty,” Lucy paused to wipe her feet on the mat as she walked in.  “Were you able to pick up those angle connectors we needed?”

“Oh yes,” Unikitty replied in a chipper voice. “There was an awfully rude alien that had their eye on them as well, but, uh,” she flexed her paw, revealing the sharp claws within. “It didn't take much to dissuade them.”

Lucy chuckled, and the two started moving out of the entryway. “I really think they’ll really improve the overall performance, but it'll be kind of a hassle to install them.”

Rex, who'd been momentarily distracted by deliberately wiping his feet as little as possible, suddenly saw an opportunity. “I can help,” he blurted out.

They looked back at him. “Oh Emmet,” Lucy said in a soothing voice. “Thank you, but it's ok, really. We've got this.”

“No wait,” Rex insisted. If he fixed their rocket launcher, and if he was being honest he knew he'd drastically improve it as well, then it'd be a great step in demonstrating his new skills. “I'm tough now, remember?”

Unikitty, looking mildly confused, glanced up towards Lucy for an explanation.

“Oh,” Lucy stammered. “He, uh, Emmet’s started working on being tougher, you see. But, um, Emmet? Maybe next time, ok?”

Rex knew that he shouldn’t push the issue. Acquiescence was a large part of Emmet’s character, especially when it came to Lucy. However, this feeling of impotence really, really did not sit well with him.  

“But, Lucy,” he started, frustration clear in his voice.

“Emmet,” Unikitty interrupted, “I know you just want to be helpful.” She trotted over to his side, placing a paw against his leg. “After all, you’re Emmet! And the Emmet that I know is the sweetest and most helpful-est guy.”

Bile rose in the back of Rex’s throat. You're wrong, he wanted to sneer. I'm not sweet. I’m not even Emmet, you stupid cat. I haven't been Emmet for a long time.

Unaware of his thoughts, Unikitty looked up at him with soft eyes. “But I think,” she continued in a quiet voice, “it's ok to not help, if it means forcing yourself to be someone you’re not. It’s ok to just be Emmet.”

Rex froze. That was… unexpected.

Unikitty smiled up at him. “We’ll see you in a bit.”

With that, she and Lucy proceeded out of the room, presumably heading back towards the workshop. Still taken aback, Rex didn't move to stop them.

Eventually however, he recovered from his momentary stupor and, with the realization that he'd been unceremoniously dismissed once again, his frustration returned with renewed vigor.

Irritated, Rex began pacing around the room, deliberately stomping his feet harder than necessary. How could he had ever lived like this, he wondered. How could he had ever considered these people, who simultaneously taunted his weakness and disregarded his attempts at improvement, to be his friends?

He hadn't expected this undercover mission to be quite this infuriating. He'd been expecting people to react like Emmet had, instantly recognizing him as someone tough and mature. Instead, no one had been able to really see him, their perception blocked by their preconceived notions of Emmet.

Absentmindedly, he pulled the radio out of his pocket, and fiddled with the various dials. A part of him wanted to turn it on, call Emmet up, and tell him “Don’t bother! Everyone will still treat you like a childish loser!”

One of the girls in the next room dropped something, and it clattered loudly against the ground. Suddenly aware again of their presence, Rex hastily stuffed the radio back into his pocket.

Tired of pacing, he flung himself onto Unikitty’s couch, kicking his dirty feet up onto the coffee table. He wondered what Emmet and the raptors were up to, wondered whether or not their mission was going well. A deep, hollow feeling opened up inside him as he thought about the Rexcelsior. He missed his ship. He missed his crew.

He missed his home.

His sulking was abruptly interrupted as Unikitty skipped back into the room. She started to speak, but fell silent momentarily as she noticed Rex’s morose expression.

“Emmet?” She asked with a gentle concern. “Are you ok?”

“Uh,” Rex fumbled momentarily to straighten out his posture and wrangle his expression into an appropriate facsimile of benign cheer. “Yes,” he answered. “I'm always ok!”

"Alright then,” she conceded, not sounding entirely convinced. “Anyways, I told Lucy I wanted to take a break and talk to you, if that’s alright.”

“Sure,” Rex responded amicably. “What did you want to talk about?”

“I was wondering how your house was coming along. If you needed any more pieces or anything like that.”

Rex paused. He’d forgotten that Emmet had already told Unikitty about that particular project. If she ever dropped by or tried keeping tabs on the place, then Rex would have to work a lot harder to keep up his disguise.

“It, uh,” he let his face fall into an exaggerated frown. “It got destroyed by the aliens.”

Unikitty face softened in sympathy. “Aw, Emmet, I'm sorry to hear that. I know how excited you were about it.”

She hesitated momentarily, her expression uncharacteristically glum.

“Emmet,” she finally said. “Could I… tell you something?”

Rex put on a sad but understanding smile. “Of course, Unikitty.”

“I’ve never really talked about it with anyone,” Unikitty started as she crawled up onto the couch next to him, “but, sometimes I really miss Cloud Cuckoo Land.”

She sniffed. “I know how you guys feel about the aliens. I know that it's hard to see your home destroyed over and over again, but…” She trailed off, lost for a moment in her thoughts.

“I think,” she finally continued, “in some way, Bricksburg is still there. Not just in the wasteland, but also here in Apocalypseburg. All of our buildings, our weapons, and our custom vehicles are built from Bricksburg’s pieces.”

“In a way,” she sniffled, “you all got to rebuild your home. It doesn't look the same, but a lot of stuff hasn't changed. People still work at the same jobs, live in the same homes, and shop at the same stores.”

She looked up at Rex, and he could see the shimmer of tears forming in her eyes. “I'm not trying to say that I don't like living here, but... sometimes it hurts to remember that I can never go home.”

Without thinking, Rex reached over to pat her head. She leaned into the touch. Her fur was much softer than he'd remembered.

“I try not to think about it,” she mewled, “because it doesn't make me angry. It just makes me sad, and a sad Unikitty isn't a very helpful Unikitty.”

“Do you...” Rex murmured. “Do you think that, if you could somehow go back, it would still feel like home?”

“What do you mean?”

“Because you're not the same person anymore.” Rex explained. He knew this line was questioning wasn't very Emmet-like, but a part of him was screaming to ask. “Does the you that you are now still have a place there?”

Unikitty didnt answer for a long moment.

“I don't know,” she finally admitted. “I don't think that I ’m the same person anymore, but I'm also not sure that it matters.”

“How can you say that?” Rex implored.

“Because Cloud Cuckoo Land was for everyone, no matter who they were. Even if I couldn't take my old place there, that doesn't mean that there’s no place for me.”

Rex let that thought sink in. It was truly a shame that Cloud Cuckoo Land had never been restored. Although, if it had, Rex might never have existed. In the end, he wasn't sure how comforting he found that thought.

“Emmet,” Unikitty broke the comfortable silence, and stretched herself out before meeting Rex’s gaze. “You're a really good friend. Thanks for listening to me.”

A good friend? Rex hadn't been trying to be friendly… All he’d done was say what had been on his mind, which is what he usually did.

Listening to others wasn't tough… No one in Apocalypseburg was ever emotionally vulnerable enough for that kind of thing. Rex panicked slightly. Was the Emmet act rubbing off on him?

No, he thought, No way.

Unikitty was just be saying that to be “polite”. She’d already called him “sweet” and “helpful” earlier, when he’d been neither of those things. So, it made sense that she’d offer him another benign compliment now.

Relieved, Rex fixed his face into an appropriately Emmet-esque smile. “Of course, Unikitty. You know I'm always happy to help!”

Unikitty beamed and started to say something else when Lucy walked back into the room.

“Unikitty?” She called from the doorway. “Benny just texted me. He says we've got a situation that could really use some Ultrakatty-style help.”

“On it, boss.” Unikitty leapt to the ground gracefully, her smile transforming into a more austere expression midway. “Emmet,” she turned back to address him. “You're welcome to stay here while we're gone.”

“Ah thanks, Unikitty, but uh,” Rex joculary gestured towards the door, “I've already got plans.”

“Okey-dokey then!” Unikitty stepped out of the room, but Lucy hung back for a moment.

“Hey, Emmet?” She asked in a soft voice. “Are we still on for tomorrow morning?”

“Ah, of course, Lucy! I wouldn’t dare skip out on my special best friend again.” Rex gritted his teeth at the thought of spending time alone with Lucy again.

“Awesome.” Her lips curled into a slight smile. She looked at him for a moment longer, as if she was deciding whether or not to say something more, then silently turned away and followed after Unikitty.

Once he heard the door slam shut behind her, Rex’s face fell into a deep scowl, his thoughts immediately returning to his earlier ruminatinations. The reception in this crudhole of a town was not like he'd expected. They'd all told him that they wanted him to be tougher, and now that he was? They laughed at him. They derided him. They called him sweet even.

His frustration gnawed at him. If his so-called friends couldn't even recognize how tough Rex was, disguise or no disguise, then the real Emmet didn't stand a chance.

He’d failed.

Rex shook his head, trying to dislodge the thought. This was just… a minor setback. And a minor setback could be compensated for. He'd just have to up the toughness a little. Then they'd have no choice but to believe him.

First however, Rex had some business to attend to.

*******************

The house was exactly where he'd remembered. The clean yellow walls stood out slightly from the desert sand, making it even easier for him to locate. A pile of disassembled monkey bars and toaster parts sat off to the side, clearly indicating that Emmet hadn't had the chance to finish the place yet.

And now, he never would.

Rex stepped onto the porch, casting a disdainful glance towards the double decker swing. He'd deliberately avoided implementing any double decker furniture on the Rexcelsior. Now that he was tough and mature, he could see how utterly stupid the idea really was.

His expression darkened at the thought, and he reached up, wrenching the porch swing down from its hanger. It clattered to the floor, and, as Rex proceeded to stomp on it, the metal frame distorted and screeched under his foot.

Just as he was about to turn his attention elsewhere, something in the mess caught his eye. Moving aside a few broken pieces, he pulled out a small white throw pillow. The embroidery on the front, which spelt out “E & L 4-Eva”, had a tear through it now, and some of the fluff had begun spilling out.  

Rex ran his thumb over the letters. He’d… forgotten about this. He hadn’t thought about it in years, but now, with the pillow in his hands, he could easily recall the nights he'd spent working on it, the hours he'd spent stitching each letter. He could remember how deeply he hoped that Lucy would like it.  

He dropped the pillow like it had burned him. Anger flashed across his face and he stomped on it. When it simply gave underfoot, he snatched it back up, ripping it in half and scattering stuffing everywhere.

He was not Emmet anymore. Emmet’s things and Emmet’s memories meant nothing to him anymore. He had learned the truth of the universe and hardened his heart accordingly.

And now, he had the opportunity to prove it to himself.

As the day had progressed, he’d felt an itch building up underneath his skin. It was a itch that could only be scratched by destroying something. It was the need to smash things, to throw them and shatter them, to reduce them to pieces.

Giving into this need, giving into his anger always felt good. It filled his chest with warmth, making him feel powerful and complete. Compared to the hollowness he felt more frequently than he would ever admit, it was a welcome change.

With an animalistic roar, Rex smacked his fist into the side of the house. The wall splintered at his touch. He hit it again, and it crumbled further. Over and over, he slammed his knuckles into the quaint abode until it had been reduced to unrecognizable rubble.

Taking a deep shuddery breath, Rex stopped to take in the sight. Slowly, the fire in his chest waned to a low smolder. He felt tired, but good. It was like feeling sore after a workout or long run. Running a hand through his hair, the sweat caused the hair clump together, falling across his forehead in familiar swoops.

It was late now. The sun had finally started sinking below the horizon, and the air was growing chilly. It felt nice, compared to the stifling heat of the day. Rex started walking away from the ruined house, back towards Apocalypseburg. He'd been planning to stay in the house overnight, like Emmet had in the original timeline, but clearly that was no longer an option.

As he walked, he thought about where he could feasibly go. None of Emmet’s friends would turn him away, but the thought of spending more time with any of them, especially Lucy, made his stomach curdle.

As he reached the edge of town, he found himself at the base of the Statue of Un-Liberty. As always, she stared into the distance with impassive eyes, silently watching the night fall.

Climbing the statue was easier than he’d expected, as if the path was still embedded somewhere in his muscle memory. When he reached the torch platform, he looked out at the empty streets below him and the star-filled sky above. Somewhere up there the Rexcelsior continued its mission without him. Somewhere further still was the Stairgate, and the accursed Systar System. Rex laid on his back, still watching the heavens. He let his mind wander now, wondering about Emmet and his plan in general, until eventually, he drifted to sleep.