#fuselage transformers

[maxicaiman]

fuselage drawing,,,, i havent drawn him in forever he’s so bug 2 me,,,,

[snailsnaps]

i wanted to try drawing in Magma for the first time 🫢 🛫

— Fuselage (he/him)

[eyefocusing]

i have Once Again made a little fuzzy version of @milk-sharks' seeker pattern. keychain edition!!!!!

slingshot was a very fiddly little guy to sew. and i ended up not being able to add any little autobot symbol shape because this was Definitely pushing the limits of this fabric. but all in all. excited to have another Little Guy

[maydays-medbay]

Meet Fuselage! Resident medic himbo 🎉 They are living in my head so rent free that it's like he has a whole damn house up in there lmao

I don't have a ton of info to share about him (not without prompting at least, he is not fully loaded with lore yet lol), but I'll reiterate some of the basics below.

Fuselage was initially a combat medic. He didn't mind the work, but he did have disagreements with how the Autobots conducted themselves and other various behaviors they showed. It eventually boiled over into a fight that ended with his desertion. Now, he lives with his Conjunx, Hydroline, on a water-world they like to call their own. They are very gay for each other, what else is new?

Fuse still has many contacts within both the Autobot and Decepticon armies despite being a defector themself. They will assist anyone who needs a medic, con or not. As long as they're saving lives they don't care who's in charge. He very occasionally takes mercenary jobs because despite being a medic, he was also very well trained for combat and isn't afraid of a little fighting. As long as he gets compensated for it.

Hydroline is aware of their neutrality not being out of a moral dilemma but more out of a disdain for the leadership and "way things run" within both factions. He understands, and never pushes Fuselage into changing those opinions (though he does worry when he leaves to do work of any kind. It's still war at the end of the day).

[retro-anon]

MEOW THATS MY BBG SHOCKLINE ALRIGHT

did a call with some friends for a while and drew some porn with my ocs, have Shockline and Fuselage being whores

[pistachiobee]

Transformers oc!!! Hooray!! Meet Updraft :)

I don't have a super set personality for her yet. Mostly because she's kind of a self insert lmao. But I like to think she's really lazy and laid back despite looking super intense.

Her design is based off of a Picrew shown below

[autoacafiles]

And here's another artfight batch!

Hyjax is the creation of MartianSnake

Gunjumper is the creation of @deathscythee

Fuselage is the creation of @decepticonaiden

[2t2r]

10 superbes meubles en recyclage de pièces d'avion...

Nouvel article publié sur https://www.2tout2rien.fr/10-meubles-en-recyclage-de-pieces-davion-classe/

10 superbes meubles en recyclage de pièces d'avion...

[maxicaiman]

that awkward moment when the new guy on your team trauma dumps about what he thinks is his perfect life (he's being treated like shit)

[radio-wavelengths2]

Who’s got the tastiest since were talkin flavours now

Hmmm Turboshot, Radiostar, Fuselage or Whiz

Turbo - blueberries

Radiostar - oranges

Fuselage - probably cherry?

Whiz - cotton candy LMFAO

[snailsnaps]

ah yes, my three sons plane son, hypno son and nurse son

[alyakthedorklord]

Omg literally it would be SO cool if you wrote the rest of the playboy bruce trying to kiss the justice league without them realizing it (I know you said figure it out but the way you wrote it was so good and funn I would love it if you gave maybe a couple of scenarios)

Lmao honestly executive dysfunction is kicking my ASS rn and it was intended as a prompt. I will try tho, definitely taking inspiration from the others who responded to the post because I love them.

If you haven’t, go check out the notes on the OG Post above! @britcision, @ivywing, and @help-i-need-a-cool-username all had amazing additions and @foursixtwonineoh-pieces-of-lego wrote a fic:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/48325771

As did @scrapcheck, still in progress

And Devilhorn!

Anyways LONG post under the cut

Hal Jordan

Hal is first to prove a POINT, as @britcision decided. Also because the bastard made it waaaay too easy. Remember- Hal was Joking. He genuinely thinks Batman isn’t going to try, because he’s way too straight-laced boring.

So when he’s at a bar in Coast City, and he sees this absolutely ravishing man lounging casually against the wall, bar lighting making him practically glow (he CALCULATED that) subtle makeup making his bright blue eyes pop as he looks Hal up and down… Well. Hal makes the first move.

Hal: “All on your own, handsome?”

Bruce, with “Mastermind” by Taylor Swift playing in his head, smiling sweetly at Hal: “Care to change that?”

They start talking. Hal doesn’t recognize Bruce Wayne at ALL (canonically he does not know who Bruce Wayne is, a point brought up by @help-i-need-a-cool-username) so all he knows is Bruce is a single father who works at a company he inherited from his parents, which is just (brucie voice) “so much less interesting than a test pilot!”

Bruce, grimacing internally but wrapped around Hal’s arm with the awed and interested eyes in full effect: “you have such a nice voice, tell me more about planes…”

He KNOWS what a fuselage is, thank you, Jordan. Whatever. He gets to gush about his kids, when its his turn to talk, good enough tradeoff. He can survive Hal Jordan’s bad pick up lines and pretend he’s into them. At a certain point Bruce breaks and kisses him just to shut him up. One down.

Diana Prince

I looked it up- kissing in Ancient Greece wasn’t always considered romantic, but also a greeting between two similarly-ranked people. Therefore, I think Diana would be pretty chill with kissing and honestly an easy target at a gala if Bruce plays respectful/clumsy/earnest himbo starstruck with the tall pretty woman, just a peck would make him the happiest man alive. But I wanna go a little more in depth.

Now, I’ve seen Flash and Martian Manhunter save Bruce and/or his kids and Bruce lays one on them, but honestly I think it would work well with Diana too, because she loves kids. Dick and/or Jason (whichever you want to imagine, I want them to team up screw canon) are WAY to excited for this, they’ve got a little script and everything.

WonderWoman, a kid in each arm, delivering them back to their tearful guardian: “Here we are, Mr. Wayne. Whole and healthy.”

Dick, playing into his role eagerly: “Oh my gosh, Bruce! Bruce we got saved by a princess! It’s like a fairytale! Except, you know, the princess is the hero this time, which is so freaking cool!”

Bruce, tears of gratitude rolling down his face (and he knows how to still look perfect while crying, its a skill): “I’m just glad the two of you are safe, Chum.”

Jason, big baby blues in full effect, absolutely asked Wonder Woman to be his mom earlier (to set groundwork, no other reason): “You know, usually the princess and the hero gets a kiss at the end of a fairytale, Bruce. But this princess is both. So how will she get a reward?”

Still choked up with relieved tears and now laughter, Bruce looks up at Diana and smiles: “Well, if the Princess wants a reward… then I would be a fool to refuse.”

Bruce kisses her on the lips, Dick and Jason both kiss her cheeks, Diana leaves charmed and amused by the sweet family. Such a good father, humoring his children and thier little fascination with her, so very respectful…

Two down.

J’ohn Jones

Okay, martians are telepathic. So this goes one of two ways, at some sort of charity or something-

Option 1, Batman is a realist: the charity event is a masquerade, and he wanders over to where MM is while thinking “it would be so funny, give me this.” As loudly as he can. And Martian Manhunter, who appreciates the audacity, gives him a kiss. (I don’t like this one because it technically breaks the rules of the bet, bc MM knows it’s Batman, but eh)

Option 2, Batman is a different breed: he manages to up the ante with his Himbo Persona. Creating a “slippery void” mental facade that blocks of his real thoughts and makes him read as really just that stupid. This would require functioning with two trains of thought at once, and making sure that the Martian can only read the surface level, “oh, this one is pretty” “I really wouldn’t mind kissing him” and other such decoy thoughts, instead of “target is approaching, signs of interest present despite this not being his natural form-“

Bruce also researches and copies Martian courting styles and copies them “by chance,” catching MM’s attention. (He offers him Oreos)

Martian Manhunter: “this man… he is so empty headed and yet clearly kind and willing. I would not take him for a life partner, but for some simple fun as he seems to desire…”

(Edit: Maybe, if B is confident enough, he lets through his loneliness. Missing his parents, wanting affection, an ache so strong it’s like a physical wound. J’onn feels the same ache for his lost family, and decides to try this human’s strategy to fill that void. Either way…)

Batman 3, League 0

Barry Allen

I’m strangely blank when it comes to the Flash let me just spitball and let it snowball

As I said above, people have had him save Bruce, had Bruce seduce him at his workplace while taking a tour, I even saw @help-i-need-a-cool-username have Dick set up a petition for Bruce to kiss the Flash. (An idea that I personally think would also go really well with Superman lmao.)

Anyways, I think it would be funny for Bruce to take it slow with Barry. For the irony of it all. Because Batman is doing this to prove a POINT. So he’s in central city, spots Barry coming his way, and “accidentally” slips right into his arms. Ooh, or covered in coffee, like a wealth disparity drama base script, and Barry’s like “omg i am so sorry let me pay you back.” And bruce is all “this shirt costs (stupid amount of money)”

Barry: (fear)

Bruce, rolling with it rn: “yes, it is horrendous, isn’t it? Hows this- I’m in central city for a day. You can pay me back by showing me around?”

He then proceeds to string barry along on an honest to god DATE for shits and giggles. They go clothes shopping, they go to restaurants, Bruce pays for a big meal bc this is after a fight or something and Barry got hurt, his speedster comrade needs to EAT, damnit.

After all this, he gives a cheeky smile and lightly smooches Barry. “Thanks for the fun day, Mr. Allen.”

Barry, bright red and goo brained: “hah- mmhmm. Yeah…”

Batman 4, League 0

Oliver Queen

This one… Oliver is on guard. He’s twitchy and suspicious, turning down men flirting with him, people are starting to notice. But Bruce? Bruce just walks up at a party while “tipsy” and lays one on him. Straight up. He wants to show just how EASY it is. Because Oliver doesn't even register it. He just laughs and goes: “Hey Brucie! Miss me?”

Batman 5, League 0

Dinah Lance

Of course, immediately after above, he turns and pouts at canary.

Bruce: “Dinah darling, you are a saint, I don’t know how you put up with the mess he’s got on his face. He was so much nicer to kiss when we were in (fancy private school name drop) together and didn’t have all this nonsense.”

Dinah, laughing at Ollie’s offended noises: “Oh, I don’t mind it. He’s a good kisser.”

Bruce: “Of course he is, I taught him. Care to compare?”

Dinah: “Don’t mind if I do.”

Batman 6, league 0

Clark Kent

For Clark, Bruce is originally talking to Lois before he turns his eyes on a quiet Clark and croons: “So, Miss Lane, does this lovely specimen have his own questions, or is he arm candy? And if he’s the latter, can I either tempt him off you, or secure an invitation?”

Lois, an excellent friend who will absolutely set Clark up with the hottest bachelor in Gotham: “Well, Mister Wayne, I’ve got all I need. Clark, take a page from my book and honeytrap a good quote out of him, hm?”

With an obnoxious wink, she pats a spluttering Clark on the shoulder, and leaves him with a very smug Batman.

(Bonus Superbat- Clark and Bruce’s conversation is going REALLY WELL and to the point where both of them seem on board with more than a heavy makeout when Bruce puts a hand on Clarks chest.

Bruce: “Stop.”

Clark, freezing immediately: “I’m sorry, did I go too far-?”

Bruce: “No, no. I think I might be though. See, I have all of you now, and I’ve won the bet.”

Clark: “What are you- oh. Oh- HUH?”

Cue sudden and shocked revelation, Clark’s mind going a hundred miles an hour, and then skidding to a stop on- he only did this for the bet. He’s not really interested. He stopped because I went too far-

Bruce: “You only consented to a kiss without knowing my identity. Right now, I’d like to do more, if you’d let me.”

Clark has the dial-up tone ringing in his ears, he has no idea whats going on anymore, the hot billionaire and his reclusive teammate aren’t quite slotting into place, because he wants both but rhey’re so different but they’re the same but-

“Yes.”

Lois doesn’t get Clark back that night and she is delighted.)

Anyways, final results:

Batman: 7

League: 0

Reveal:

Batman talking shit about their secret identities again, Green Lantern is scoffing about it again, says something along the lines of: “You still think you’re sooooo great, huh? Hows the bet going, spooky?” Fully expecting Batman to get huffy with him.

Instead, Batman smirks.

He leans in

And purrs: “So you didn’t notice?”

The League freezes. The implications are dangling over their head. Did he… did he really?

Green Lantern, absolutely terrified: “No. no, there’s no way…”

Batman: “Oh, there absolutely was a way. I’d say you were a good kisser, but honestly? I think it might have been the euphoria of getting you to shut up.”

He turns on the rest of the league, still smirking. “I have kissed every single person who consented at least once in the time since the bet was made. Two of you with tongue. And no one has called me out on it. Now that you know it’s happened, you should be able to figure me out, so whoever can tell me my real name first, wont get thier story used as an example in the brand new “how to avoid honeypots” seminar.”

(If bonus superbat, B shoots Superman a Look and goes “except for you, superman, because I told you my name.” Which just ends up distracting everyone else until they get THAT story)

Diana wins bc she matched up the boys to the robins. Everyone else gets their stories told in excruciating detail. Batman rates them by kissing ability and how obvious he was on his approach. Oliver gets docked points for “texture.” Dinah gets docked points because “i griped about the exact same thing in and out of costume, how did you not notice-“

(Different reveal below)

@chaos-n-kindness @she-went-that-way @geekonaleash @redh00dsbf @howabouticallyou

[radioactiverats]

Mentor Starscream x seeker!reader (7.5/?)

Starscream drags your drunk aft home from Swerve's.

Kind of a bonus off the last installment, because I'm not done with drunk confessions lol. Part of this is channeling the idea that with someone to be responsible for, someone to keep him grounded, Starscream doesn't just fall into delusions of power, but has to retain some sense for the sake of protecting someone else.

Also inspired by jetlings. <3

Thank you for your patience! Behold, me delaying the next part with soft feelings because I'm not ready for angst:

---

Only when you're on your pedes do you realise the engex has affected you way more than you thought. You thank your lucky stars that Starscream had only made a sound of disgust at the entire situation before allowing you to more or less use him as a crutch to stay upright.

Even after leaving Swerve's, it was some time before you were actually on the road, given that it had taken some trial and error to transform into your altmode.

Fuzzily, you tried to gain a sense of your transformation mechanisms.

Okay, cockpit, you knew where that went. Wings. Okay.

Hmm.

You still had legs.

And suddenly, the world tilted. Half-transformed and woefully off-balance, the nose of your altmode tipped slowly forwards to acquaint itself with the ground. The dull thunk reached your audials before the pain actually registered.

"...Ow."

You were distantly aware of Skywarp wheezing with raspy laughter in the background.

"Come on, Screamer, you have to admit that's hilarious - ow!"

A small part of you couldn't help but feel smug about that. Still, you were in no better position, legs awkwardly out, nose in the dirt and rudders in the air.

Starscream's voice, when he kneels next to your altmode, is a little too measured. You, slowly attempting to summon a modicum of outrage, suspect he's trying for irritated but is having a bit too hard of a time holding his laughter back.

"Fuselage and landing gears, cadet."

"Nnghh."

You sluggishly try to feel for the parts of your frame that he's talking about, and something must have worked, because your nose is lifted promptly out of the dirt, allowing you to take in the exasperated expression on Starscream's faceplate. "At last. Now, spoilers out..."

--

Being towed deftly through deep space allows you a very intimate experience of how Starscream flies. He's in perfect control of both space and speed; not once does your altmode jerk awkwardly to a stop or become upended on sharp turns. Controlling your own frame is hard enough, let alone two, and impulse control be damned - you spend most of the return journey dreamily admiring one of the greatest fliers that Cybertron has ever produced. Upon landing, Starscream does allow himself a self-satisfied smile when he sees you making no effort to hide your starry-eyed gaze at him - which warps instantly into panic as you take a step towards him and immediately pitch sideways.

A flare of his thrusters is enough to propel him to your side, just managing to catch you before you eat ground for the second time that night. He's viciously muttering something about peeling Skywarp plate by plate as he tries to right you, which is when you decide to help by wrapping your arms around his middle again and refusing to let go.

"Skywarp's nice," You slur. "Don't peel him, sir. Please?"

"I- You don't- argh, fine," Is all Starscream manages to spit out before static actually garbles his vocaliser. You blessedly decide to keep quiet before he busts a fuel line. As long as you don't speak, surely hugging him tighter would be okay, right?

A choked mess of static is your response - in addition, however, to a warm servo on your shoulder, more or less dragging your frame onward to his habsuite. Thankfully no other officers were around to see you both, but you were way past caring at that point.

Starscream finally manages to heave you bodily into a seated position on the berth.

"I have work to finish," He says, wearily. "Recharge. You still have training tomorrow."

To some extent, you do know that he'd abandoned his duties to collect you from Swerve's, and he has important things to do. However, it quickly becomes apparent that you have no plans to let him go - stubbornly clinging onto him even as he tries to leave.

"Let go, cadet."

"No."

Before the irritation hits, a ripple of panic from your EM field gives him pause.

"...And dare I ask why not?"

The pause that descends is heavy. Ashamed of losing control, you sullenly burrow further into his back, between his wings.

Starscream's ex-vent reverberates through his entire frame, but he gently rotates himself in your stubborn grip so he can cradle your helm to his chassis. Gentle strokes of his servo over your wings have you sagging against him as you shutter your optics against the dizziness that fogs your processor. You shiver as he traces lightly over your aileron, over what used to be a nasty rip in your wing plating - the one which he mended himself. "Well?"

"You'll get hurt if you leave," You eventually mumble, muffled into his frame. "You always come back hurt. It's not fair."

The gentle, sweeping strokes over your wings abruptly stop. A deep, weary ex-vent.

"Life isn't fair, cadet."

"So?" You mutter. "It shouldn't be unfair to you."

Childish, yes. But you don't care. The Starscream you know doesn't deserve this. At the very least, he chuckles at that, and you can take credit for the nanoklik where your childishness lightens his burden ever so slightly. The mood, however, quickly turns somber again as your emotions get the better of you.

"What if you don't come back?"

You're acutely aware of Starscream's hesitation before he answers. You know there's some things he can't promise you, but you stubbornly refuse to believe that... there will come a moment when you hear his voice for the last time.

For now, though, it seems that Starscream is equally reluctant to leave your little universe of two.

"Don't be silly," he admonishes gently. "You think you can be rid of me so easily?"

It fills you with more relief than you'd care to admit. He is indeed resilient - he's a lot more capable than Megatron makes him out to be, and as the leader of the ex-high guard, he's no stranger to fighting for survival. You're starting to understand the scary front he puts up, because it works to an extent to quell any potential rebellions or revenge plots among the troops.

It is a front, right?

Your fuzzy processor wrests with the thought for another nanoklik before your own survival mechanisms decide to abandon the thought. He's been nothing but gentle with you, in his own prickly way - and deep down, you know this thought will lead you to a conclusion you're not sure you're ready to confront.

"They're all so scared of you," You slur. "I dunno why."

Starscream stiffens, but slowly resumes stroking your wings, carefully tracing flaps and spoilers to the tune of your humming engines. You barely manage to catch his response - perhaps he thinks you've already slipped into recharge.

"If only you knew," Starscream says quietly, sadly.

You struggle to make sense of that - you get the feeling that he's saying more than he normally would, because you're drunk out of your processor and liable to forget all that has transpired. Still, you know what you're determined to do, anyway. "'m gonna protect you. From the bad guys," You mutter. It's near incoherent, but Starscream picks it up anyway. His chuckle is raspy and indulgent.

"So what are you going to do to protect me, hm?"

"I," you declare, woozily shooting upright - you would absolutely have tipped over, had Starscream not steadied you - "will kick your enemies in the faceplate. One by one. Then they'll know not to mess with you." Never mind that you're about half Megatron's height, but it's the thought that counts.

Starscream's optics are uncharacteristically soft. "Next time we have an opening in battle, I'll leave the grand finale to you, then."

"Mmhmm," you mumble. "It'll be good."

At some point, you'd been carefully laid down on the berth - good thing too, because warnings of an imminent shutdown keep flashing on your HUD, and you drowsily decide to be good because Starscream has seemingly abandoned his work in favour of lying down beside you.

"You can do that in the morning. For now, I think it's time for recharge, don't you?"

"Okay," you murmur, scooting closer to him. "Doing my job."

"And what would that be?"

"I'm a seeker. I seek warmth."

You bask in the laughter that rumbles through Starscream's chassis as he tucks you close, and you finally slip into a dreamless recharge.

Previous / Next

[lockheed-martin-unofficial]

Starscream is given a bath, Part 2:

759 words on this part! I’m trying to make these cuts as natural as possible, but for the record it is meant to be read as all one big thing.

Part 1: here

Part 3: here

——————————————————————————

“So…” she stood back to take a rest after she was done cleaning, resting her hands on the singular engine inlet mounted right below the cockpit.

“I’m gonna have to get in your intake next, promise you won’t shred me?”

The aircraft chuckled, sending a low vibration through his entire frame.

“I have no intention of doing that today.” He answered casually. “Unless you ask me nicely.” He gave the fan a slight turn, which earned him an instinctive flinch from the human, though she quickly collected herself. Starscream laughed once more at the reaction.

“Oh, relax, I’m not looking forward to picking out your guts from my compressor.”

A moment of silence.

“Just…be careful in there?” He asked, his voice more pleading this time.

“I will.” She replied, and the aircraft lowered himself enough that it would be easy to reach into the air intake.

It was far roomier than it would appear from afar, so much so that she was able to climb her way inside and sit with her legs crossed. Inside was a little warmer than the rest of the room, but it was obvious the engine had been dormant since he arrived at her house. The human carefully scrubbed the inner walls until they turned a lighter color, making sure not to use too much soap when she got closer to the fan, as she didn’t want his engine ingesting water while being rinsed. There were more of those pleasant lights, similar to the lights inside the wheel well, leading from the entryway to the engine itself. She could see a subtle glow emanating from deeper inside the compressor. Was he doing that intentionally, making it bright inside so she could see her way around? The human chuckled at the thought, and brushed off a curious “Hm?” from Starscream.

“It’s nothing, don’t worry.”

Despite her previous reservations about being shredded, she couldn’t help but inch closer to the fan, scrubbing the edges and even… very carefully, touching the fan blades. She wouldn’t deny she found it interesting, if not beautiful.

“I thought you wanted nothing to do with my engine.” His voice echoed as he felt the touch, seemingly coming from every direction. Of course it would, she was almost inside his fuselage. He sounded a mix of smug and curious.

“Well…” she yawned again, using the shower head to blast some water up at her own face in defeat. As comfy a spot as this had turned out to be, she couldn’t fall asleep just yet.

“I don’t ’not want anything to do with your engine.’ It’s… it’s like cleaning a loaded gun, you know? Even when I know the guy holding it has no intention of firing it into my face, it’s still a loaded gun. Your engine is very powerful.”

He thought for a second.

“I see.”

Another pause. The human continued with the finishing touches.

“I suppose I should be… thanking you for this.” A hint of embarrassment was barely noticeable in his tone.

“Don’t worry about it.” The human replied nonchalantly, slowly climbing her way out of the intake after she was satisfied with the cleanliness.

“We’re a team now. It’s only natural I’m gonna want to help you, just…”

The moment she was a safe distance away, before she could finish her sentence, the aircraft transformed back into his regular form, squeezed awkwardly into the bathtub. He had his knees pulled up to his body, arms draped awkwardly around them as he hunched forward ever so slightly. The odd positioning of his frame had given his wings ample space to move, at the very least. Starscream had an awkward, almost guilty expression on his faceplate.

“…don’t make it any more difficult for you than it has to be?” He guessed, wings pricking up as he spoke.

“Yeah.”

He had found it amusing to watch her tend to him, just going along with anything he decided to do without complaining. But now, remembering the human had no true obligation to help him in the first place, he… it’s not like he felt bad, per se. It wasn’t like he was forcing her to do any of this. It was her own fault, obliging him. But he was afraid that if he went too far, he would suddenly find himself not receiving any help from the human at all. And he had to admit this had been growing on him. It wasn’t so bad, it was comforting, even. And comfort wasn’t something Starscream could risk losing chasing an ego boost.

[maydays-medbay]

Would you like to draw Fuselage, please?

He has no idea what he's doing

[rozzingit]

Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/M, M/M Fandom: Dragon Ball Relationship: Bulma Briefs/Vegeta Characters: Trunks Briefs, Vegeta (Dragon Ball), Bulma Briefs Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Angst, Planet Vegeta, Time Travel, Alternate Universe: Planet Vegeta Exists, Adult Trunks Briefs, Other Additional Tags to Be Added

A man finds himself very far away from home. Or maybe very near.

---

Prelude: Trunks

His grip deformed the metal frame of the ship as he clawed open the canopy. Shards of glass cut through his skin, and his hand smeared blood across the fuselage as he reached outside the cockpit. He tried to pull himself out, but his muscles faltered, and he fell back into the seat with a cry of pain.

He took one breath. Then another. He focused his mind on the pain, reshaped it to a narrow pinprick. He accepted it. And then he dug deeper.

He hauled himself out of the ship and dropped like a stone to the ground below; the impact was brutally solid, knocking the wind out of him with a sharp cry echoed by the clatter of an object dropping beside him. For several minutes, he just lay there, breathing raggedly, the air oppressively thick around him. Part of his mind was sluggishly taking stock of his condition. He counted breaks and fractures, and listened to the wheeze of his breath. (Two ribs. Lung punctured, but not collapsed. Why was it so hard to breathe?) He tested the motion of each of his fingers, and then his toes. He tracked the sensation of pain up his limbs. Something was burning in his shoulder: dislocated, most likely.

Finally, he drew his attention to his back. He searched for something intangible along his spine, and his breath started to tremble and heave the longer he struggled to find it. Emptiness cracked open inside him. "No," he rasped, desperate and furious and grief-stricken all at once. "No–"

He opened his eyes to blood-red skies, and his breath stuck in his throat. He stared wordlessly at the open sky, crimson interrupted by white clouds, and felt his world shift unsteadily beneath him.

Where–?