What if... (hfjONE-shots)

...Airy Didn't Die

What if... Airy didn't fall off of the bridge and die.

Some key things to note before we begin this story:

#1 - If you haven't watched or finished ONE by hfj cheesy, then please go do that first!!! It's an amazing and beautiful series on YouTube and this ONE-shot contains spoilers for it.

#2 - I don't ship any of the hfjONE characters. No, not even Sodapack. I don't mind the ship, but in my opinion none of the characters (except maybe the ones they already knew on Earth) have had enough time together to form a truly decent relationship.

#3 - Airy Lore. In the series, Airy claims he had been in the world where the computer is for 'at least' 10 years. My theory is that he says this because, 10 years ago during season 1, was the first time he started keeping track of the date. He has actually been there much longer.

Airy is a kerosene lantern, which was used until the 1920s when electric lights became widely available. He also died in a car accident, and cars also became widely available in the 1920s. This suggests that Airy died during the 1920s or shortly after. The series takes place in 2022-2023. Using all this data, I have come to the conclusion that Airy has been dead for almost 100 years, which is significantly longer than most people believe.

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Liam woke to see the wooden beams of Airy's crudely built hut looming overhead. What happened? He groggily pushed himself into a sitting position, and yelped as the movement caused his broken right leg to explode with new pain. Oh right... Liam sighed, tears welling up in his eyes. He had failed. Airy didn't even fight back, yet Liam couldn't kill him. He thought of Owen, his best friend. Liam had failed him.

He glanced down at his broken leg, and was shocked to see that not only was it cleaned up, but that same cursed cast, or at least a very similar one, was strapped on. Instant flashbacks of its weight dragging him further and further down, away from the surface, away from air, away from life. Liam shuddered and clutched his head, forcing the disturbing flashback into the corner of his brain.

Suddenly, yet another unsettling thought crossed his mind. Hadn't a tree fallen on his leg? How did he get back here? Wait... Airy?!?! Airy moved the log and dragged him all the way back here unconscious and completely defenseless. Right after Liam tried to kill him with a freaking ax no less...

Airy really was stupid.

Liam pushed himself off of the wood cot, biting back the stinging pain in his leg. Fresh, sweet-smelling reeds tumbled out of the cot's frame as Liam unsteadily slid off. Had Airy just gotten those? He glanced down at the pile of reeds on the floor that Airy put there for him... wait? Did Airy put Liam on his own cot? Again, immediately after Liam tried to kill him?

That hole in his head must have done a lot of damage.

Liam, on the other hand, had his priorities straight. He hadn't forgotten or forgiven a single thing. He was furious.

Liam snarled as he snatched up the makeshift crutch that was left leaning on the log wall. He hobbled out the door, determined to do whatever it took to put that miserable lantern out of existence just for THINKING about bringing more people to the Plane.

Liam didn't care about Airy's brain-dead kindness.

He was going to end this once and for all.

Liam stormed outside, and headed directly to the cave. He just knew Airy would be there.