Take My Heart When You Go - A Reylo/Westworld AU

Seven Nation Army

Author's Note: Chapter title inspired by the song 'Seven Nation Army' - as used in Season 2, Episode 3 of Westworld.

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Long after the dust on the trail has settled following Rey's departure into town, Ben goes straight to work on mending the chicken coop. Chewie follows him, tail wagging, as he heads to the small shed where his tools are kept. Gathering up the needed supplies, he heads back outside and begins mending the coop.
The chickens pace nearby, softly clucking and pecking at the grains Ben has strewn across the ground for them. Chewie trots off to lie in the shade of his favorite tree while keeping a watchful eye on the ranch.

Once the coop has been mended and the tools stored away, Ben heads down to the corral to pay a visit to his horse, Falcon. The dappled gray stallion bobs his head and snorts in greeting. Ben holds out a carrot on a flattened palm and Falcon greedily eats it up. Ben gets pulls out a brush from the saddlebag and begins to gently brush dirt from the steeds speckled fur.

"Let's get you ready to go into town, shall we?" He says to Falcon. Falcon snorts again, as if he really does understand him. Next to the corral, there is a rustle within the tall grass. Chewie sits up from under his nearby tree, alert. Something has caught his attention.

"Good boy Chewie." Ben whispers, as he observes the large rabbit that is trying to disguise itself among a patch of sagebrush. Ben slowly reaches into Falcon's saddlebag and pulls out a pistol. He takes a few slow steps towards the rabbit, trying to be as silent as possible. Gravel quietly crunches beneath his cautious feet. Ben takes aim at the rabbit as it raises its head, its tan ears up and alert.

BANG!

The rabbit drops to the ground. So does Ben.

He is on his knees in the dirt. His head is suddenly throbbing and his eyes can't stop twitching. Grunting in agony and frustration, he presses the heels of his palms to his eyes. Chewie begins to bark and growl.
Ben snaps his head up, eyes dark with rage. Chewie has his ears back, his sharp teeth bared with a snarl. Ben looks down at the pistol lying in the dirt next to him. Without hesitation he snatches up the pistol and shoots the mongrel dead.

Ben stands and surveys his surroundings. This planet is foreign to him, and he can not seem to recall how he came to be here. He furrows his brow in anger and confusion as he takes notice of the strange garments his is wearing. What has happened here?

His hands ball into fists. General Hux is surely to blame. Somehow he has tampered with his memories and dumped him on some backwater planet in the Outer Rim, usurping him as Supreme Leader of the Galaxy. There is no other explanation. He lets out a strangled cry of rage. He ignores the dead brown beast in the dirt and heads for the odd building in the distance. Strange birds scuttle away from his stomping feet as he approaches.

The building seems to be a house. It is clearly ancient and the furnishings are strange to him. He finds a room with a bed that has clearly been slept in. The sheets are mussed and the pillows are lumpy. There is a smaller room with two chairs and a hearth with what seems to be a larger version of the curious weapon he still holds in his hand. Below the weapon there is a golden circle that holds a very detailed drawing. Ben reaches for the circle to better examine it. It is not a drawing after all, but a primitive version of a hologram. His hand begins to shake as he recognizes the man in the hologram as himself. Only he is not alone. He stands next to a beautiful woman in a white dress. What IS this planet???

He drops the circle in fear and glass shatters at his feet. He grips angrily at his hair, crying out once more in agony. He can not understand. His head pounds. He is an animal trapped. So he begins to destroy the home in a blind flurry, throwing the chairs and crushing anything physical he can get his hands on. He moves from room to room, howling in emotional and physical pain. He rips the sheets from the bed, uncovering yet another small weapon from beneath the mattress where it had lain hidden. It clatters across the floor as he wails his frustration. He passes out from the pain throbbing in his skull. On the ground is where he lays until he is found by the mysterious woman from the old hologram.