Work Text:
It was a quiet day in Colts life. Waking up next to his still sleeping wife, looking up at the celling and feeling a weight in his chest he hadn't felt in years.
A weight that he had long ago associated with his brother, his other half. His twin.
It had felt like years the last time he had felt a connection to Ry like this. Even if he only imagined it, since he was long dead.
Maybe drifting among the stars, so far away from him.
All these years ago he got to see a younger version of his own face being portrayed as a hero for finding a way to save the world, and another planet as well. (Only his brother could be stranded alone in space and still finding a way to have a partner to talk to. Colt knew he otherwise would have gone even more insane on that ship.)
He wasn't thrilled when he found out that his younger, yes the two minutes counted - thank you very much -, brother would be the one to go on that ship. During their weekly phone calls it didn't sound like Ry was preparing for that anything like that at all.
Standing up and hearing the tell-tale click of his artificial knee, he had to get it replaced a couple years ago - stunt work doesn't leave the body in a good position to age gracefully, he got ready for the day. They have gotten old Jody and him. If you would have told him that during his little stint of self-pity after his back injury…
A kiss was pressed against his cheek by her, having woken up as well and leaning against him. "You, okay? Normally you would sleep in on a day like this.", Jody sounded a bit worried.
A look on the calender would tell you that it was the anniversary of the Hail Mary being launched. Over half a century ago at this point, but it still brought up emotions Colt would rather not speak about. (He was still mad that Ryland didn't even say good bye to him. That would have been nice at least before going of to space to die.)
"I'm just… thinking about him today. Nothing bad about that, right?", he hummed back and looked at the framed picture frame hanging in their living room.
It showed Jody, him and Ry standing in front of a movie poster for Metalstorm. Oh, Ryland was so proud of the two of them.
Hugging them periodically and crying during the film, which didn't really include parts to cry about but oh well - his twin had always been more emotional than him after all.
The phone ringing made him look away from the photo, which left some tears in his eyes. "Hello, Colt Moreno speaking. What can I d-", he spoke into the phone. A hectic sounding feminine voice interrupted him, "You are Dr. Ryland Grace's brother, right? Right. No that was a stupid question. Could you may- actually not maybe. Please be ready in five minutes, someone is going to be at your door taking you there."
Colt could barely comprehend what was said to him before he heard the sound of the other person hanging up the phone.
"Who was that?", Jody appeared next to him, this time dressed for the day. He looked at her with a perplexed expression, "I couldn't tell you, apparently someone is going to take us somewhere? I'm not su-"
Apparently today wasn't the day to finish sentences, because someone was knocking on their door with a tempo and volume they hadn't heard in years. Looking at each other and without a word spoken between them, they decided - fuck it - and opened the door to a man standing in front of them. Who the second they opened the door, basically dragged them to the car standing before their garden gate.
Colt stopped walking and asked, "What is going on, who are you and where are we going?"
The other man's eyes widened and he let go of Colts arm to cover his mouth. "You haven't heard?"
"Haven't heard what?", Jody added, sounding suspicious and slightly annoyed at the situation.
"I thought you would have been informed already, I don't think the news should come from me…", the man looked at another new person, who looked equally shocked at the idea that the elderly couple in front of them didn't understand what was happening to them.
Getting pulled in the direction while the words, "You will thank us later for this.", where spoken to them both.
Sitting in the back of a black van wasn't the ideal day in a life for Colt anymore, well that never was his favorite part of his life. The exciting parts of stunt work, which is all the stunts that weren't just being thrown into dirt, was his favorite part (and being able to work with the love of his life, of course.)
They didn't exchange any words, too confused and slightly anxious. Because, what was going on. Why did the women on the phone want to know if he was Ryland's twin. What a strange day.
After what felt like hours, they stopped in the middle of nowhere at what appeared to be an airfield or something like that.
"What are we doing here, again I have no Idea what is going on.", Colt said to the two people in the front seat. They, however, couldn't answer him, because after the car came to a halt, the doors were opened and the two of them were dragged out.
A voice cut through the volume of the many, holy shit how many people were there in this seemingly random place, "Don't hurt them, make sure they are there the second he lands."
The words seemed to finally made Jody realize why this was happening to us, because she looked at Colt with a shocked but happy expression. Whilst he was still trying to figure out what was going on.
They were pushed in front of most other people and it was barely a minute before he realized there was a camera crew there and so many people in uniform his head began to hurt. What was happening here?
Why was an elderly couple needed for whatever was going on at this place?
Before he could voice that question however there was a noise getting louder and louder around him. Not a voice, more of an engine sounding noise.
Colt looked up into the sky and there it was. Something resembling a pod was coming down to earth.
His brain was surprisingly empty, for someone with his life experience. He couldn't get his hopes up for what was about to come because that would be insane.
It would be insane if his brother…
But it wasn't.
It wasn't insane because the moment the door was opened after the landing, there he was.
His brother. His twin. His reflection.
Colt felt like he was going to faint and hit his head and die, just from seeing the face - admittedly looking much younger than his own, dammit - of his other half, who he thought was long gone.
His legs were working long before his brain caught up to the fact that he was walking until he was able to wrap his arms around Ryland.
Tears were uncontrollably streaming down his face, whilst mumbling "Oh god, I can't… You are here. Am I dead?" The last thought came to him so sudden, there wasn't a possibility his brain to mouth filter - which had improved over the years, just don't ask Jody about it - caught it in time.
And oh.
To hear the laughter of his younger brother again.
There wasn't a better feeling in the entire world. There couldn't be a better feeling.