52 Days of Disaster - Day 29
Watchmen/The Sandman
(I'll be busy. You're getting an early posting.)
Hollis Mason stood up, fists raised in a guard position, and he certainly didn't lower them at the sight of the strange girlie who was now standing in front of him, with the newfangled jewelry and the slightly apologetic expression.
"Hollis Mason?"
"Who's asking?"
"I'm sorry, that wasn't actually a question. You are the first Nite Owl, though, right?"
"I might be."
He was understandably nervous. After all, a bunch of thugs had just jumped him, and-
And he was in his own house, so it was actually fairly obvious who he really was, because of all the memorabilia that was scattered about the room.
"I'm sorry, Hollis. I've not introduced myself. I'm a friend of Dan's."
"Dan who?" Instantly suspicious.
"Mr. Mason, we both only really speak to one Dan on a regular basis."
Hollis knelt down to try to clean up around him, but his hands drifted through the statue, and he took a deep, shuddering breath, even though he was starting to realise that he really didn't have to. Out the corner of his eye, he could see an outflung arm, still balled into a fist, and he swallowed, again without needing to.
"I'm..."
"Yes. Yes, Nite Owl, I'm afraid that you are."
"But... But me and Sal- I was just thinking of going over to see her soon, I was gonna..."
She reached out, rested her hand on his shoulder.
"You had a lifetime, and do you know what you did with that lifetime?"
Hollis shook his head, and he didn't need to cry.
"You saved so many people, and then you went on to inspire so many more people to go forth and save the world. You inspired Dan Dreiberg, and you reinspired those members of the police that were starting to lose their nerve in the face of the masked villians. You set forth to do good in this world, Hollis Mason, and you did. You had a lifetime, and what you did with that lifetime... it was astounding."
Hollis looked at her again, and as he heard only sincerity in her words, he stood up.
"How do you know Dan?" he asked. He knew who she was now. Symbol of life around her neck and all, and he would freely admit to being curious about why she might be in regular contact with his successor, especially now, so long after the Keene Act. Even after tonight's rescue from the burning building, because nobody had died on that trip, the newsreports said.
"We met about nineteen years ago. And he's... sweet." An expression that Hollis Mason couldn't quite quantify passed across her face, and he understood her completely.
"So, what now?"
"You go forth to your future. Whatever it is."
She took his arm gently, and led him out the door.
And overhead, an owl flew forth on its own special mission. Hollis Mason waved goodbye, and Death looked up beside him, and waved a little herself.
(I'll be busy. You're getting an early posting.)
Hollis Mason stood up, fists raised in a guard position, and he certainly didn't lower them at the sight of the strange girlie who was now standing in front of him, with the newfangled jewelry and the slightly apologetic expression.
"Hollis Mason?"
"Who's asking?"
"I'm sorry, that wasn't actually a question. You are the first Nite Owl, though, right?"
"I might be."
He was understandably nervous. After all, a bunch of thugs had just jumped him, and-
And he was in his own house, so it was actually fairly obvious who he really was, because of all the memorabilia that was scattered about the room.
"I'm sorry, Hollis. I've not introduced myself. I'm a friend of Dan's."
"Dan who?" Instantly suspicious.
"Mr. Mason, we both only really speak to one Dan on a regular basis."
Hollis knelt down to try to clean up around him, but his hands drifted through the statue, and he took a deep, shuddering breath, even though he was starting to realise that he really didn't have to. Out the corner of his eye, he could see an outflung arm, still balled into a fist, and he swallowed, again without needing to.
"I'm..."
"Yes. Yes, Nite Owl, I'm afraid that you are."
"But... But me and Sal- I was just thinking of going over to see her soon, I was gonna..."
She reached out, rested her hand on his shoulder.
"You had a lifetime, and do you know what you did with that lifetime?"
Hollis shook his head, and he didn't need to cry.
"You saved so many people, and then you went on to inspire so many more people to go forth and save the world. You inspired Dan Dreiberg, and you reinspired those members of the police that were starting to lose their nerve in the face of the masked villians. You set forth to do good in this world, Hollis Mason, and you did. You had a lifetime, and what you did with that lifetime... it was astounding."
Hollis looked at her again, and as he heard only sincerity in her words, he stood up.
"How do you know Dan?" he asked. He knew who she was now. Symbol of life around her neck and all, and he would freely admit to being curious about why she might be in regular contact with his successor, especially now, so long after the Keene Act. Even after tonight's rescue from the burning building, because nobody had died on that trip, the newsreports said.
"We met about nineteen years ago. And he's... sweet." An expression that Hollis Mason couldn't quite quantify passed across her face, and he understood her completely.
"So, what now?"
"You go forth to your future. Whatever it is."
She took his arm gently, and led him out the door.
And overhead, an owl flew forth on its own special mission. Hollis Mason waved goodbye, and Death looked up beside him, and waved a little herself.