Thing-A-Day Creativity Project: October 25
Title: Fragile Lives
Fandom: DC comics
Characters: Ted Kord, Booster Gold, OFC (Irina Kord)
Prompt: "Thunder" (fanfic100), "I can be like you" (un_love_you).
Word Count: 768
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: Got to talking to fleur_de_liz about Elseworlds and how they are MOST AWESOMEST EVAR and decided to go take a peek at Wikipedia's list of them. The Dark Knight Returns is on that list. So naturally my mind turned to oh hey what ever happened to Booster and Beetle in this horrible world, I must know! Because I am sad like that.
ALSO: I never actually understood entirely WTF was going on in TDK until I read the Wiki page just now. Srsly, that's not a good sign. That's a failure in storytelling. Or maybe I'm just dumb. Whatever. It's been years since I read it.
Stupid, stupid title from Offspring's "The Kids Aren't Alright."
Fragile Lives
The door didn't creak as it opened, but the doorknob clicked as she let go of it. Holding her breath, she froze in the doorway, heatbeat thudding in her ears as she listened for any sign that her appearance had been noticed. The house was silent.
Letting out a quiet breath, she carefully edged inside and closed the door behind her. This time, she made sure to let go of the knob slower so it made no sound.
Boots clutched in one hand, she padded softly toward the hall and--
"Where have you been, young lady?"
Letting out a shriek, she flailed briefly and dropped one of her boots, holding the other one up at the ready to fend off an attacker. As thick and heavy as the sole of it was, she actually could have done some serious damage with it.
A light came on in the dark living room and one of the easychairs slowly turned around.
"Daddy!" she protested, lowering the boot as her heartbeat began to slow.
Arms crossed over his chest, her dad frowned at her. "Where, Irina?"
Irina huffed and shifted, the AC quickly cooling her sweat-damp skin and raising goosebumps. "Just...out. With some friends."
"Dressed like that."
She was suddenly, horribly aware of every artful tear in her fishnets, the naval-deep plunge of her neckline. "It's an homage to Black Canary's costume--" she started defensively.
"Dinah made it classy," came another voice. It came from the other easychair, still turned away, and Irina's heart sank as her other father stood up and turned to face her. "Ira, honey, that's not an homage. That's a bastardization."
"You don't understand anything!" she snapped, fists clenched at her sides.
"We understand that you were at a SuperChix concert," her dad said. "A concert we explicitly told you you were not allowed to go to."
"But I wasn't--"
"Irina Michaella Kord, don't you dare lie to us!" her father suddenly shouted. He moved to stand behind her dad's chair, hands coming to rest on her dad's shoulders. "We've been watching the news, we saw what happened."
Tears pricked at her eyes as she stared at them. "I just..."
"You're grounded."
"Daddy!"
"I don't care what promises Bruce made, what big speeches he gave you kids, you are not joining his little revolution."
"He's going to change the world!" Irina protested. "He'll fix this country, he'll make things right again!"
Her dad sighed. "Sweetie, you're far too young to even know what that means." Finally standing, he stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. "We were so worried about you, Irina. Have you already eaten?"
"Yes..."
"Then go to your room." He let her go and took a step back, his hands still on her arms as he looked at her face. "Change, go to bed, and we'll discuss your punishment in the morning." Letting go of her arms, he reached up and tucked a strand of dyed-blond hair behind her ear.
Nostrils flaring with the effort of holding back her tears, Irina picked up her boots and slowly made her way toward her room. Back in the living room, her dad turned to her father with a worried expression.
"You think he's gone nuts, Boost, or is this all part of some master plan?"
"It's Bruce. It could be a little of both, Ted."
Ted sighed and made his way back to the man, leaning his forehead against Booster's shoulder. "He's recruiting kids," he said. "I know he used to have Robin, and he's got that new Robin, the girl. But this is an army."
"He's not just recruiting kids, you know," Booster muttered, wrapping an arm around him.
"I know, what was Ralph thinking?"
"He hasn't been the same since Sue..."
"Damn. Yeah." There was a moment of silence. "Vic contacted me. Said he's working with Bruce."
"No, not the Question," Booster said sarcastically. "He's always been so sane and level-headed."
"Fine, smartass." Another pause in the conversation. "Should we try to get in touch with him?"
"After he tried to recruit our baby?" Booster scoffed. "Fuck Batman."
Ted burst out laughing. "You make an excellent point, Mr. Carter."
"Why thank you, Mr. Kord. But seriously, if he tries to give our little girl a cape and mask, I'll break his goddamn arms."
"I'll hold him down. Let's go to bed, Booster. I'm tired and tomorrow we have to deal with an angry teenager who thinks we don't know anything about trying to save the world."
Booster chuckled and gave him a squeeze as they headed to their bedroom. "Kids these days."
Want to suggest something for my thing-a-day creativity project? Do it here!
Fandom: DC comics
Characters: Ted Kord, Booster Gold, OFC (Irina Kord)
Prompt: "Thunder" (fanfic100), "I can be like you" (un_love_you).
Word Count: 768
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: Got to talking to fleur_de_liz about Elseworlds and how they are MOST AWESOMEST EVAR and decided to go take a peek at Wikipedia's list of them. The Dark Knight Returns is on that list. So naturally my mind turned to oh hey what ever happened to Booster and Beetle in this horrible world, I must know! Because I am sad like that.
ALSO: I never actually understood entirely WTF was going on in TDK until I read the Wiki page just now. Srsly, that's not a good sign. That's a failure in storytelling. Or maybe I'm just dumb. Whatever. It's been years since I read it.
Stupid, stupid title from Offspring's "The Kids Aren't Alright."
Fragile Lives
The door didn't creak as it opened, but the doorknob clicked as she let go of it. Holding her breath, she froze in the doorway, heatbeat thudding in her ears as she listened for any sign that her appearance had been noticed. The house was silent.
Letting out a quiet breath, she carefully edged inside and closed the door behind her. This time, she made sure to let go of the knob slower so it made no sound.
Boots clutched in one hand, she padded softly toward the hall and--
"Where have you been, young lady?"
Letting out a shriek, she flailed briefly and dropped one of her boots, holding the other one up at the ready to fend off an attacker. As thick and heavy as the sole of it was, she actually could have done some serious damage with it.
A light came on in the dark living room and one of the easychairs slowly turned around.
"Daddy!" she protested, lowering the boot as her heartbeat began to slow.
Arms crossed over his chest, her dad frowned at her. "Where, Irina?"
Irina huffed and shifted, the AC quickly cooling her sweat-damp skin and raising goosebumps. "Just...out. With some friends."
"Dressed like that."
She was suddenly, horribly aware of every artful tear in her fishnets, the naval-deep plunge of her neckline. "It's an homage to Black Canary's costume--" she started defensively.
"Dinah made it classy," came another voice. It came from the other easychair, still turned away, and Irina's heart sank as her other father stood up and turned to face her. "Ira, honey, that's not an homage. That's a bastardization."
"You don't understand anything!" she snapped, fists clenched at her sides.
"We understand that you were at a SuperChix concert," her dad said. "A concert we explicitly told you you were not allowed to go to."
"But I wasn't--"
"Irina Michaella Kord, don't you dare lie to us!" her father suddenly shouted. He moved to stand behind her dad's chair, hands coming to rest on her dad's shoulders. "We've been watching the news, we saw what happened."
Tears pricked at her eyes as she stared at them. "I just..."
"You're grounded."
"Daddy!"
"I don't care what promises Bruce made, what big speeches he gave you kids, you are not joining his little revolution."
"He's going to change the world!" Irina protested. "He'll fix this country, he'll make things right again!"
Her dad sighed. "Sweetie, you're far too young to even know what that means." Finally standing, he stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. "We were so worried about you, Irina. Have you already eaten?"
"Yes..."
"Then go to your room." He let her go and took a step back, his hands still on her arms as he looked at her face. "Change, go to bed, and we'll discuss your punishment in the morning." Letting go of her arms, he reached up and tucked a strand of dyed-blond hair behind her ear.
Nostrils flaring with the effort of holding back her tears, Irina picked up her boots and slowly made her way toward her room. Back in the living room, her dad turned to her father with a worried expression.
"You think he's gone nuts, Boost, or is this all part of some master plan?"
"It's Bruce. It could be a little of both, Ted."
Ted sighed and made his way back to the man, leaning his forehead against Booster's shoulder. "He's recruiting kids," he said. "I know he used to have Robin, and he's got that new Robin, the girl. But this is an army."
"He's not just recruiting kids, you know," Booster muttered, wrapping an arm around him.
"I know, what was Ralph thinking?"
"He hasn't been the same since Sue..."
"Damn. Yeah." There was a moment of silence. "Vic contacted me. Said he's working with Bruce."
"No, not the Question," Booster said sarcastically. "He's always been so sane and level-headed."
"Fine, smartass." Another pause in the conversation. "Should we try to get in touch with him?"
"After he tried to recruit our baby?" Booster scoffed. "Fuck Batman."
Ted burst out laughing. "You make an excellent point, Mr. Carter."
"Why thank you, Mr. Kord. But seriously, if he tries to give our little girl a cape and mask, I'll break his goddamn arms."
"I'll hold him down. Let's go to bed, Booster. I'm tired and tomorrow we have to deal with an angry teenager who thinks we don't know anything about trying to save the world."
Booster chuckled and gave him a squeeze as they headed to their bedroom. "Kids these days."
Want to suggest something for my thing-a-day creativity project? Do it here!