THE LOST DAYS... Round 1.

[mind_blown]

It's all darkness.

The feeling of nothingness, of being nothing. Of not existing. You have no thoughts, you will never have any thoughts again. While that fact is not comforting, because you cannot be comforted anymore, it is true.

There's a certain rest to being... nothing. And to both knowing and not knowing, that your time is done.

So it's all the more unfortunate when you feel, because you shouldn't feel. And the feeling is burning in your lungs, which you shouldn't have. Because you are- or were- nothing.

And then, you inhale a desperate gasp of air and open your eyes...

Comments

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[mind_blown]

[he sighs.]

Yeah, you could conceivably beat it down there, I guess. Take out the Joker and all of that for a little while, but I'm telling you I don't want you to go there.

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[gigadevilbreaker]

It's in your head, so it's all on you to fight alone? No way.

Jason, I know you just wanna protect me, but this is the only chance I got to protect you, from yourself.

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[mind_blown]

Now, hold on.

I didn't say I was going it alone!

[he cups his face.]

You dumb, over-eager bastard.

I just said that wasn't the way I wanted you to go.

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[gigadevilbreaker]

Well I don't see anyone else here! And other YOUs don't count, that's still you.

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[mind_blown]

[he rolls his eyes and kisses him briefly]

Go back to Arkham.

Probably most of it's not gonna surprise you. You don't gotta go into the basement.

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[gigadevilbreaker]

[kiss! '-']

Have I told you lately that Gotham sucks? Because Gotham sucks.

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[mind_blown]

You mighta mentioned it once or twice.

[he relaxes a little bit, since he seems to accept it.]

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[gigadevilbreaker]

[He leans his forehead against Jason's, with a small sigh.]

And where's the part of you that I can talk sense into not condemning yourself to that shitty place?

[He's kidding. But only half kidding.]

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[mind_blown]

I wanna go with you. I just can't.

[he answers, probably a bit more seriously and unguarded than he would normally.

he's actually admitting he wants to not go back.]

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[gigadevilbreaker]

[That gets his attention. Nero blinks, lifting his head to stare at Jason with mild alarm.]

Whadya mean can't?

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[mind_blown]

Not like that.

[he pauses.]

I just-- can't let the kids that live in the same shitty neighborhood I did get sucked up into picking one side or another, just like I did.

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[gigadevilbreaker]

Jason...

[Dammit. Unfortunately, 'saving children from growing up the way I did' is something Nero can painfully relate to. His face softens, and he reaches out to cup his face, even as he mutters,]

You stupid goddamn hero.

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[mind_blown]

I'm not a hero.

[he reaches up to hold one of his hands]

Sorry.

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[gigadevilbreaker]

[He meets Jason's eyes, looking at him with love and pride and sorrow and bitterness at the same time.]

You are. You'd spend the rest of your life trying to make life better for-- who knows how many kids you'll never even meet. Even though it's not your job. Even though it's killed you and hurt you over and over...

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[mind_blown]

[he exhales, and reaches out to stroke his hair.]

Hey.

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[gigadevilbreaker]

[His eyes flutter, doing a poor job of hiding the tight ache in his chest.]

It's all true, you dipshit.

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[mind_blown]

I love you. I just... don't trust anyone back home to actually do right by these kids.

And-- if I get a second chance... Well... I should use it this way.

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[gigadevilbreaker]

[It's not fair that this Jason can say that so openly and still break his heart like this.

Nero's quiet for a while, before muttering,]

What about Talon? It's his second chance too... he hasn't even hit puberty and he's already died doing the same thing.

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[mind_blown]

... I keep hoping he'll go somewhere else, regardless of what I do.

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[gigadevilbreaker]

He's not gonna. You know how stubborn he is.

...I can't tell you to abandon children. But he's a child who got sucked into his life too.

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[mind_blown]

I know.

I don't know what to do about it.

[he admits, slowly.]

We weren't... all that close, back home. So I don't know what to do now that we are.

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[gigadevilbreaker]

I don't think he knows what t'do with himself either. The closest thing he's had to a normal life is in Hell.

[Nero bows his head for a moment, and takes a deep breath.]

You'll figure it out. I believe in you.

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[mind_blown]

Yeah. Little brothers, though. They're stubborn as hell.

[he runs his hand through his hair one last time before pulling back.]

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[gigadevilbreaker]

You love'im.

And I love you. No matter what.

[Nero sneaks in one more kiss before he pulls back.]

Re: Lazarus Pool - DO NOT COMMENT UNLESS LINKED TO THIS

[mind_blown]

I know.

Anyway, I gotta go pick up a troublemaker.

[he headnods towards the exit.]