Chapter Text
They carefully started unloading the kids. The robots had gone deep into the planet, each accompanied by a Robinson Sibling, or in Robot’s case, two. Penny had decided to go with Scarecrow, something about her was different. Closed off, somehow. Will hoped it would pass once they got things back in order. He hoped they got things back in order.
Sighing, he smiled at the kids as they exited the Jupiter, leading his line past the hatch and into the green grass and brown stones. Most looked away, a few staring long after they’d passed him. They were probably still shaken, most of the tears hadn’t even dried yet. Nodding to himself, he carried a particularly young girl down, setting her by a slightly older boy who all but ripped her hand out of his and dragged her away as she waved at him. Must have been her brother… surely.
Even after everything that had happened in the Resolute, after Hastings and Ben, Will wasn’t used to being stared at. He probably would never be. Hopefully that wouldn’t happen here, they were all kids, adults were usually less trusting. He might even make a friend or two.
He reached for another one of the little kids, this one a boy, ready to carry him down too. A girl, around his height with dark curly hair, took him from his hands just as he grazed his shoulder.
“Don’t touch him”, she hissed at him.
Will blinked owlishly at her, leaning back.
“I was just trying…”
“I don’t care”, she glared, cheeks burning red, “don’t touch him.”
He didn’t know what to say, or do. All around, the kids on his side of the ship hushed and watched. Some with interest, some with pity, some almost… fearful. A rock sank deep in his belly. Fear of him.
“Our mom says traitors are dangerous. And you’re a traitor. I won’t let you hurt my brother”, the girl all but spat at his feet, shoving him aside with her shoulder and jumping down with the boy in her arms, hiding his face in her shoulder.
“I wasn’t going to.”
His mumbles went unheard. She was long gone by the time his breath came back to him, chest rattled with the wild beat of his heart. Traitor…
Sucking in a violent breath, Will turned back to the kids still on the ramp. They stepped back from him. Of course. So that was it, what Ben and Penny and Judy had warned him about. The consequences. Of saving a life, of sparing Scarecrow, of sacrificing Ben.
Traitor.
“Nice way to treat a hero”, a voice, deeper than his own, snapped from the very back of the group.
A boy with deep dark hair, a little taller than Will himself and a firm scowl on his face, forced his way through the group. He elbowed some kids who stood stiffly in place. What was going on?
“You people do realize he and his robot saved our lives?”
Eyes like platters watched, freakishly quiet.
“He’s not my robot”, he spoke, not even wanting to. He’d said it so many times it just happened now.
The boy looked back at him, mouth slightly ajar, only to nod resolutely once and glaring daggers at the other kids.
“His friend then.”
Will swallowed, when had things gotten so difficult? They’d just landed and there were already glares and accusations. And all because of him.
“I’ll just go, my sisters can help you out if you want”, he called to the group, none of whom said or did anything either to stop him or make him leave.
Right.
Will turned around and all but ran away. His parents had always taught him to fight, stand his ground. They also weren’t here. Memories of school and kids shoving him in the halls came to mind, glares and trays forced to the floor. Jabs about his dad leaving. A sob, dry and painful and choking, wrapped itself around his throat like a fist. What kind of hero was he if he couldn’t even face a few kids?
“Hey, wait”, the boy ran after him. Who was this kid? “It’s Will, yeah?”
He forced himself to stop, breathe past the tight grip of panic.
“Mhm.”
The boy reached him, stopping by his side and extending his hand, “Carter. It’s good to meet you.”
Will didn’t know what to say, or do. Robotically, he shook the boy’s hand once, looking around wildly for the only people he was sure wouldn’t glare or stare.
“Yeah.”
Wait. Good?
He watched the boy, his dark eyes open and kind, a ghost of a smile on his lips, head held high.
“Why did you do that?”, he blurted out, wincing when this Carter furrowed his brows. “Defend me, why did you do that?”
An easy shrug.
“Somebody had to. It’s not right, what that girl said.”
“She was just scared…”
“Because somebody told her to be. I don’t think that’s fair after what you and your sisters did.”
Will’s eyes bore into Carter’s.
“And nobody told
you
to be scared of me?”
Carter’s previously easy expression fell.
“I’m by myself. My parents didn’t pass the tests. Some kids were sent on our own.”
Oh. Oh no.
“I- I’m so… I mean…”
Carter chuckled, confidence not quite back, “it’s fine.”
Will’s head tilted, scanning this boy. He couldn’t remember the last time someone outside his family had been this kind just because.
“Still. They basically announced to everyone that I was the enemy. So, why aren’t you like the others? A rebellious streak?”
Will smirked, Carter scoffing right before an easy, light laugh fell from his lips. It was almost musical, that laugh. It eased what was left of that tight knot in his throat.
“I just like to see things for myself”, a new kind of smile, cocky and bright was sent his way, “you don’t seem so bad, Robinson.”
Heat spread through his cheeks. He’d seen that kind of smile before, in other kids and adults both. Penny used it sometimes in the first planet, with Vijay. No one had ever smiled at Will like that, though. No one had ever chosen to defend him like that either.
“Neither do you.”
Will smiled, chest on fire for an entirely different reason. From the corner of his eye, he saw Robot talking to Scarecrow. They seemed pretty engaged in whatever they were discussing. It wouldn't be nice to interrupt them after they had just found each other. Nodding to Carter, the boys walked side by side to the front of the group already on the ground, where Judy was giving instructions. He wondered what his sisters would think of this strange boy. What Robot would think. He wasn’t sure what he thought himself.
Who knew, maybe they could be friends.