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dream draft
Oct. 31st, 2012 10:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
staystraughtDream effects: None.
Warnings: Uhh, spoilers for YJ ep. 16, foreshadowing for "Invasion" in general, and character death.
Notes: At the risk of looking like a bad fanfic:
“Our next mission is clear.”
Or, became as much when Aqualad never passed through the Zeta Tube. What also became clear? I’m leader, in the worst way possible, and in the worst situation imaginable. Fifteen sixteenths of the League is dead, two sixths of the team is dead, plus scattered other heroes like Icon and the Atom.
Robin stepped forward, almost into a ‘center stage’ position between Kid Flash, Superboy, and Miss Martian. “If we believe the aliens are teleporting their victims--”
“We do,” Kid Flash interjected.
Am I the only one who thinks he sounds desperate? I hate what happened, too, I really can’t… don’t want to… contemplate what happens next. Afterward.
But what can I say? Miss M needs him to say things like that, he needs to say things like that, I can’t work with them crippled by grief, okay? I can’t. I need them at full capacity because Manhunter isn’t. I’m trying to couch the whole thing in weasel works like ‘if’ and ‘maybe,’ I’m trying to be cautious, but deep down… we saw them disintegrated.
“—Then the only reasonable detention facility is here.” He pulled up a wall-sized hologram of a vaguely egg-shaped black mass. Vaguely, because it didn’t come to a smooth dome at the top; points and spires and red glowing circles jutted out here and curved towards the top.
Villainy doesn’t get more generic than this.
“Their mothership, atop what used to be Smallville.” The group spun around to look at the Martian Manhunter. “Ring any bells?” Robin asked.
“No… I’m sorry.”
Manhunter stood slowly, spoke slowly. He sounded like he had a headache, and Robin turned back to the group with frustrated haste.
“Superboy, you’ll create a distraction.”
Immediately, Miss Martian reacted: “No!”
Shocked or betrayed?
“He’s offering you up as a sacrifice,” she continued, rounding to Superboy.
Caught.
"Aqualad would never do that!"
Higher pitch. Slightly hysterical.
...of course she's slightly hysterical, I just told her boyfriend to go die. But this... this isn't about us, about who lives and dies, and we can't... we can't prioritize our own lives. That's not what heroes do.
We need to destroy the mothership, we need to cripple the aliens to save the world, but everyone is still hung up on who died and while I would love to just lock myself in my room and ignore the world like I did last time, we don't have time.
I need to shut this down. I know this is hard on everyone -- I've just been orphaned for the second time and all before I turned fourteen, that's gotta be a record -- but there's that whole fate of the world thing...
"You're right," Robin said, level and cold. "Aqualad would sacrifice himself."
Aqualad himself said it: We are Earth's heroes now. And he'd want us to stop the invasion, not grieve.
Sorry, Kaldur. I meant it when I said you were the only person who could lead this team right now, and I mean it when I say I have the utmost respect for your principles. But unless we can integrate you, unless that mad desperate grab of KF's is legit, and I... I can't believe it is, I have to take the other approach.
"A mistake that just cost us our leader."
I want to believe it, but someone needs to know better... if they believe in that, all they're going to care about is a rescue mission, if I lead a charge on the mothership, they're only going to run away and try to stage a prison break, and I knew that when I started this briefing.
But if they don't believe in that, and judging by Miss Martian's reaction, she doesn't, not entirely, I can't use them. And I can't overturn an alien invasion with just myself, Superboy, and a half-capacity Manhunter. I need Kid Flash to get in to the mothership -- superspeed's about the only way to beat the disintegration beams -- and I need Miss Martian to blow the thing apart molecule by molecule if the explosives fail.
And since I'm the only one who can prioritize, that puts SB...
"Superboy is the most likely to be perceived as a threat, motivating the aliens to deploy."
Congratulations, Boy Wonder, you've got Project Cadmus' weapon.
But if this is what I have to do to save the world, it's... what I have to do. It's what has to be done. To save the world. To complete The Mission.
I don't... want anyone else to die. I don't. Never.
But the world should probably be saved at some point, and if I have to readjust the truth for the others, it's part of the mission, okay?
Kid Flash interjected again, at that point, just another little massage of the facts, using his theory to bolster Robin's case, and if Robin wasn't entirely guilty about his choices (he was guilty, yes, but the mission...), he was pained. The different between a bruise and an open wound; the former being a lot more muted, but often, no less painful.
Superboy and Miss Martian turned to each other, and there was probably something comforting or loving that passed between them telepathically. Something that was going to have to sustain Miss M, because she collapsed back, barely caught by a suddenly-alert Manhunter, as she stared out at them inside the dark, red-lit hall of the Mothership.
"No... he's gone..." and the way her eyes widened, incomprehension and shock, that was a bit like looking in the "four years ago" mirror.
I'm sorry. Disappointed. If there was a way... if there was any other way...
She fell to her knees, right there at her uncle's feet, Kid Flash running back to go and comfort her, Robin following at a slower, steadier, more miserable pace.
I don't want to talk about this.
"It's all right, we'll find him with Artemis," and some conviction crept into Kid Flash's tone. He had to believe what he's saying. "I know it."
"No. My mind is clearer now," said Manhunter.
Well, that idyll was short-lived.
"The disintegration beam is exactly that."
Surprised it still hurts to hear him actually say that.
"There is no detention facility."
Lost him.
"No prisoners to rescue."
Robin was focused on Kid Flash at this point. Waiting for him to move. He'd hoped for more time, but with everyone on the verge of a breakdown... and really, who could be blamed? The whole day was overpoweringly crushing. Miss Martian was already crushed, and she'd handle it, but Kid Flash was just waiting to boil over.
"Our mission holds no purpose."
"No!"
Need to shut this down. Now!
Normally, Kid Flash would never grab a Leaguer by his collar like a common criminal, but this wasn't normal. Robin's stomach tightened. He hated this, all of it, the helplessness, the sheer reality of everyone dying and not having the luxury to indulge grief, but as much as he was pained by what happened, it was just as painful to watch the reverberations play out for the others.
KF is so... normal.
"You're wrong! The Zeta radiation proves she's alive! She's--"
Cut off by Robin forcibly spinning him back towards him and grabbing him by the collar.
"Stop it, KF!"
Didn't mean to sound quite that emotional but I can't really turn it off now.
"I've been scanning for League and team signals since we got inside. They're not. Here."
Hurts more to say than it does to hear. I don't want it to be true, but it is.
"Artemis is gone."
There's the wind-up. And the pitch:
"But our mission still holds purpose. To destroy this mothership."
Robin turned. Turned and stalked away, each step firm, with pomp and purpose, carefully planned, if not choreographed, to be strong, determined, decisive. Confident. At odds with how he actually felt.
The central nervous system of the ship. Destroy it, destroy the ship, the resources, any invading forces-- that part he was confident in. He was confident in his results. He could play the end game perfectly in his mind-- the only variable he couldn't plan for was his own death, and even then, he could guess. Red Arrow, Zatanna, Icon had a sidekick, the students from the Conservatory of Sorcery in Atlantis would have to handle any clean up alongside any survivors of this mission, but even if he couldn't plan that, he could guess...
"You knew."
Just accuse me and get it over with.
Kid Flash continued, and whether he was awed or pained, Robin couldn't guess, and that was frightening.
"You knew from the beginning why we were really here."
In his head, Robin finished it: And I lied to you about it. Don't forget that part. I'm laying down enough explosives to blow an aircraft carrier higher than Mount St. Helens, and hoping that placing them here will push me over past Mount Vesuvius while I'm at it.
And because I want this done, it's going off soon, because if I play with people, I do it to win.
"Sixteen seconds."
Kid Flash turned and ran; Robin struggled to keep up, panting, sweating furiously, the two Martians flying overhead. The clock ticked ever-closer, Kid skidded to a stop, and when Robin caught up, he saw, heard why--
"Perfect."
He barely registered that the doors were sealed shut before the disintegration rays kicked in. Didn't cry out, but he and Kid Flash dodged one way and hid; the Martian Manhunter and Miss M. went the other.
Lose the King, lose the game. Lose the Queen, and--what am I even thinking? I have to save as many of as I can, forget strategy, the only way to save any lives right now, this place is sealed shut and I don't have a chance. Never did. Manhunter and Miss M. have density shifting, but KF tops out at Mach 1, and he's never been able to vibrate his molecules before now...
"Manhunter! Take Miss Martian and go."
Instantly: "No! We won't leave you!"
This isn't the time to be noble! KF's fine but I just killed your boyfriend, leave it and go!
"We'll be right behind you, soon as we blow these doors. That's an order. Go!"
There's no way we'll blow those doors.
Thankfully, the two aliens were already sinking into the ground. Robin, not even sure what to think, turned to Kid Flash. Disintegration beams were still firing on all cylinders, from all sides, the seconds were ticking down, he'd just gotten them both killed, and Kid Flash simply nodded.
Can't risk them going after the Martians. Gotta go down fighting. I wish you'd figure out the whole vibration thing in the next six seconds, but...
He fanned out a set of circular bombs between his fingers, and, as if by some unseen signal, Robin and Kid Flash both left their hiding place to attack.
They'd barely landed a blow each when the clock hit zero. And the place should have become ground zero, obliterated Smallville, and, whether it was fear or horror, Robin spun to look at Kid Flash.
There was no eruption, no explosion, but Kid Flash, his best friend, equally in fear or horror, looked back at him, and his face fell.
Off.
Bit
by
bit
each piece, segmented, broke off, disintegrated, but there was no beam, just ashes to ashes dust to--
Warnings: Uhh, spoilers for YJ ep. 16, foreshadowing for "Invasion" in general, and character death.
Notes: At the risk of looking like a bad fanfic:
"Spoken dialogue."
"Telepathy."
Robin's very audible thoughts.
“Our next mission is clear.”
Or, became as much when Aqualad never passed through the Zeta Tube. What also became clear? I’m leader, in the worst way possible, and in the worst situation imaginable. Fifteen sixteenths of the League is dead, two sixths of the team is dead, plus scattered other heroes like Icon and the Atom.
Robin stepped forward, almost into a ‘center stage’ position between Kid Flash, Superboy, and Miss Martian. “If we believe the aliens are teleporting their victims--”
“We do,” Kid Flash interjected.
Am I the only one who thinks he sounds desperate? I hate what happened, too, I really can’t… don’t want to… contemplate what happens next. Afterward.
But what can I say? Miss M needs him to say things like that, he needs to say things like that, I can’t work with them crippled by grief, okay? I can’t. I need them at full capacity because Manhunter isn’t. I’m trying to couch the whole thing in weasel works like ‘if’ and ‘maybe,’ I’m trying to be cautious, but deep down… we saw them disintegrated.
“—Then the only reasonable detention facility is here.” He pulled up a wall-sized hologram of a vaguely egg-shaped black mass. Vaguely, because it didn’t come to a smooth dome at the top; points and spires and red glowing circles jutted out here and curved towards the top.
Villainy doesn’t get more generic than this.
“Their mothership, atop what used to be Smallville.” The group spun around to look at the Martian Manhunter. “Ring any bells?” Robin asked.
“No… I’m sorry.”
Manhunter stood slowly, spoke slowly. He sounded like he had a headache, and Robin turned back to the group with frustrated haste.
“Superboy, you’ll create a distraction.”
Immediately, Miss Martian reacted: “No!”
Shocked or betrayed?
“He’s offering you up as a sacrifice,” she continued, rounding to Superboy.
Caught.
"Aqualad would never do that!"
Higher pitch. Slightly hysterical.
...of course she's slightly hysterical, I just told her boyfriend to go die. But this... this isn't about us, about who lives and dies, and we can't... we can't prioritize our own lives. That's not what heroes do.
We need to destroy the mothership, we need to cripple the aliens to save the world, but everyone is still hung up on who died and while I would love to just lock myself in my room and ignore the world like I did last time, we don't have time.
I need to shut this down. I know this is hard on everyone -- I've just been orphaned for the second time and all before I turned fourteen, that's gotta be a record -- but there's that whole fate of the world thing...
"You're right," Robin said, level and cold. "Aqualad would sacrifice himself."
Aqualad himself said it: We are Earth's heroes now. And he'd want us to stop the invasion, not grieve.
Sorry, Kaldur. I meant it when I said you were the only person who could lead this team right now, and I mean it when I say I have the utmost respect for your principles. But unless we can integrate you, unless that mad desperate grab of KF's is legit, and I... I can't believe it is, I have to take the other approach.
"A mistake that just cost us our leader."
I want to believe it, but someone needs to know better... if they believe in that, all they're going to care about is a rescue mission, if I lead a charge on the mothership, they're only going to run away and try to stage a prison break, and I knew that when I started this briefing.
But if they don't believe in that, and judging by Miss Martian's reaction, she doesn't, not entirely, I can't use them. And I can't overturn an alien invasion with just myself, Superboy, and a half-capacity Manhunter. I need Kid Flash to get in to the mothership -- superspeed's about the only way to beat the disintegration beams -- and I need Miss Martian to blow the thing apart molecule by molecule if the explosives fail.
And since I'm the only one who can prioritize, that puts SB...
"Superboy is the most likely to be perceived as a threat, motivating the aliens to deploy."
Congratulations, Boy Wonder, you've got Project Cadmus' weapon.
But if this is what I have to do to save the world, it's... what I have to do. It's what has to be done. To save the world. To complete The Mission.
I don't... want anyone else to die. I don't. Never.
But the world should probably be saved at some point, and if I have to readjust the truth for the others, it's part of the mission, okay?
Kid Flash interjected again, at that point, just another little massage of the facts, using his theory to bolster Robin's case, and if Robin wasn't entirely guilty about his choices (he was guilty, yes, but the mission...), he was pained. The different between a bruise and an open wound; the former being a lot more muted, but often, no less painful.
Superboy and Miss Martian turned to each other, and there was probably something comforting or loving that passed between them telepathically. Something that was going to have to sustain Miss M, because she collapsed back, barely caught by a suddenly-alert Manhunter, as she stared out at them inside the dark, red-lit hall of the Mothership.
"No... he's gone..." and the way her eyes widened, incomprehension and shock, that was a bit like looking in the "four years ago" mirror.
I'm sorry. Disappointed. If there was a way... if there was any other way...
She fell to her knees, right there at her uncle's feet, Kid Flash running back to go and comfort her, Robin following at a slower, steadier, more miserable pace.
I don't want to talk about this.
"It's all right, we'll find him with Artemis," and some conviction crept into Kid Flash's tone. He had to believe what he's saying. "I know it."
"No. My mind is clearer now," said Manhunter.
Well, that idyll was short-lived.
"The disintegration beam is exactly that."
Surprised it still hurts to hear him actually say that.
"There is no detention facility."
Lost him.
"No prisoners to rescue."
Robin was focused on Kid Flash at this point. Waiting for him to move. He'd hoped for more time, but with everyone on the verge of a breakdown... and really, who could be blamed? The whole day was overpoweringly crushing. Miss Martian was already crushed, and she'd handle it, but Kid Flash was just waiting to boil over.
"Our mission holds no purpose."
"No!"
Need to shut this down. Now!
Normally, Kid Flash would never grab a Leaguer by his collar like a common criminal, but this wasn't normal. Robin's stomach tightened. He hated this, all of it, the helplessness, the sheer reality of everyone dying and not having the luxury to indulge grief, but as much as he was pained by what happened, it was just as painful to watch the reverberations play out for the others.
KF is so... normal.
"You're wrong! The Zeta radiation proves she's alive! She's--"
Cut off by Robin forcibly spinning him back towards him and grabbing him by the collar.
"Stop it, KF!"
Didn't mean to sound quite that emotional but I can't really turn it off now.
"I've been scanning for League and team signals since we got inside. They're not. Here."
Hurts more to say than it does to hear. I don't want it to be true, but it is.
"Artemis is gone."
There's the wind-up. And the pitch:
"But our mission still holds purpose. To destroy this mothership."
Robin turned. Turned and stalked away, each step firm, with pomp and purpose, carefully planned, if not choreographed, to be strong, determined, decisive. Confident. At odds with how he actually felt.
The central nervous system of the ship. Destroy it, destroy the ship, the resources, any invading forces-- that part he was confident in. He was confident in his results. He could play the end game perfectly in his mind-- the only variable he couldn't plan for was his own death, and even then, he could guess. Red Arrow, Zatanna, Icon had a sidekick, the students from the Conservatory of Sorcery in Atlantis would have to handle any clean up alongside any survivors of this mission, but even if he couldn't plan that, he could guess...
"You knew."
Just accuse me and get it over with.
Kid Flash continued, and whether he was awed or pained, Robin couldn't guess, and that was frightening.
"You knew from the beginning why we were really here."
In his head, Robin finished it: And I lied to you about it. Don't forget that part. I'm laying down enough explosives to blow an aircraft carrier higher than Mount St. Helens, and hoping that placing them here will push me over past Mount Vesuvius while I'm at it.
And because I want this done, it's going off soon, because if I play with people, I do it to win.
"Sixteen seconds."
Kid Flash turned and ran; Robin struggled to keep up, panting, sweating furiously, the two Martians flying overhead. The clock ticked ever-closer, Kid skidded to a stop, and when Robin caught up, he saw, heard why--
"Perfect."
He barely registered that the doors were sealed shut before the disintegration rays kicked in. Didn't cry out, but he and Kid Flash dodged one way and hid; the Martian Manhunter and Miss M. went the other.
Lose the King, lose the game. Lose the Queen, and--what am I even thinking? I have to save as many of as I can, forget strategy, the only way to save any lives right now, this place is sealed shut and I don't have a chance. Never did. Manhunter and Miss M. have density shifting, but KF tops out at Mach 1, and he's never been able to vibrate his molecules before now...
"Manhunter! Take Miss Martian and go."
Instantly: "No! We won't leave you!"
This isn't the time to be noble! KF's fine but I just killed your boyfriend, leave it and go!
"We'll be right behind you, soon as we blow these doors. That's an order. Go!"
There's no way we'll blow those doors.
Thankfully, the two aliens were already sinking into the ground. Robin, not even sure what to think, turned to Kid Flash. Disintegration beams were still firing on all cylinders, from all sides, the seconds were ticking down, he'd just gotten them both killed, and Kid Flash simply nodded.
Can't risk them going after the Martians. Gotta go down fighting. I wish you'd figure out the whole vibration thing in the next six seconds, but...
He fanned out a set of circular bombs between his fingers, and, as if by some unseen signal, Robin and Kid Flash both left their hiding place to attack.
They'd barely landed a blow each when the clock hit zero. And the place should have become ground zero, obliterated Smallville, and, whether it was fear or horror, Robin spun to look at Kid Flash.
There was no eruption, no explosion, but Kid Flash, his best friend, equally in fear or horror, looked back at him, and his face fell.
Off.
Bit
by
bit
each piece, segmented, broke off, disintegrated, but there was no beam, just ashes to ashes dust to--
