The Big Book of Infidget

Reunited (Brainstorming)

The war is over, and Finn is nowhere to be found.

Until he's found, of course.

Gadget is the one to spot him. 

He's barely able to stand, and gravely wounded, but at least he still has his mask on. He limps out of the alley he fell into when he lifts his head up and spots Gadget.

Naturally, as he knows he won't be able to fight without his powers, he accepts defeat.

"Have you come to finish me off, hero?"

To this, Gadget wordlessly shakes his head. He takes notice of the wounds Finn has.

Since he'd already found out just who Infinite truly was underneath the mask, this scares him beyond rationality. Finn is bleeding out before him and seems more ready to accept death than accept help.

"Stay away from me."

Finn wants to float away, or run, or do something, but he knows he has to cling onto whatever energy he has left. He leans against a wall for support, panting tiredly. 

"I don't need any sympathy. I've been beat, I know. You don't have to come back and rub it in."

Gadget, again, shakes his head. That's not what he wants to do.

He reaches his hand out towards the jackal's chest, trying to imply what he means.

Finn seems to understand, this time.

"There's no point. You and your puny team of rag-tag creatures have won. Go home and let everything happen as it does. You shouldn't alter fate, you know."

Gadget is discouraged by Finn's will to be helped, but he persists, and finally speaks.

"You don't remember me. You don't remember us. But I do. That memory is why I wish to help you. You don't understand, Infinite. I know who you are underneath the mask. I've seen you."

"You won't again." Infinite replies. "This mask keeps my face hidden for a reason. I'd bet if you were to look, I'd be unrecognizable."

"Then, let's see."

For a wolf, Gadget sure is quick. He's right in front of Infinite in a second, and has completely ripped the mask off Infinite's face. What he sees underneath is terrifying. 

Across his left eye, there's a massive burn scar that travels all the way down to his muzzle. It's almost covered with dried blood and pus. While the right eye remains fully functional by widening in fear, the sealed left eye barely manages to open up before it closes itself again in exhaustion. It's a bum eye.

Finn, however, is outraged by Gadget's move. With a swift move, he grabs Gadget's wrists and shoves them away from his face. Grabbing the mask, he hurries to put it back on. He has to cover it up. He wasn't supposed to let anyone see. 

"Finn, wait!" Gadget calls out in an attempt to stop all his progress from being erased. It works, sort of. Infinite freezes with the mask just inches away from his face. 

"I recognized you. I know who you are. You're Finn, and I can see that clear as day. That gash - we need to get it cleared up. I have people who can help, but we have to-"

"You want to bring a murderous villain into a station full of goody heroes? Do you not think? They would end me faster than you could tell them what's happened. You can't win this part. This is where I win, and you leave me be to die."

"I can't do that. That's not what we were trained to do."

The wind blowing stills itself. Gadget meets "eyes" with Infinite again, glaring this time. His voice is strong, and solemn. 

"We were trained to help anyone we could. To do whatever we could do to make sure they were safe and out of pain.  There's still something I can do. Regardless of what you've caused, regardless of how many people you've killed, you're here now, and you're hurt, and I've been trained to help those who are hurt."

Infinite is silent. 

Gadget continues, "You don't have to take off your mask yet. But I'm asking you to trust me. You used to. I know it may be hard to now, but you used to do it easily. We can take baby steps, Finn. Baby steps, you remember?"

The jackal's ears perk at this as he feels a memory flooding back to him.

"Baby... steps?"

He remembers, in the back of his mind, a scene of younger days where Gadget said those exact words to him. 

It was winter, and he'd been trapped out on thin ice. 

"Baby steps, Finn, come on. Trust me."

"Trust me, Finn."

The memory is at the front of his mind now. His legs are working on autopilot, moving towards the wolf gingerly as if back on the ice all those years ago. 

"Trust me."

Step, step, step, step. It's small, but it's working. Gadget smiles, but holds his ground, refusing to let the moment drop and kill itself. 

"I... trust... you." 

The voice is soft, and choking. On tears.

"I trust you." 

Step, step, step, step. 

And then, finally...

There are arms around his waist, and the pressure on his chest is gone, and all he knows now is that both his good and bum eye are spilling tears like a fountain. A chin rests tenderly on his shoulder. 

The sound of a building crumbling far off in the distance reverberates in their ears, but they don't care. All that matters right then is that they're in the moment as long as they can stand it. 

The smell, sound, and taste of war echoes and manifests around them, before it drops and dies. 

Fires in the distance become little sparks as reinforcements pop in from everywhere. 

The world around them fixes its own destruction.

They still walk over rubble as they leave for HQ.