For Cold Week
I wrote this for runenklinge as part of my Xmess drabble meme (well, ficlets, not necessarily drabbles)
o/~ Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring-ting-ting-aling too o/~
It was a bad time to be a Rogue. What with Anti-Life and the Crisis and people coming back from the dead... Not just Barry Allen, not just that Kid Flash, but some of their own as well. He'd heard the rumours and well it was all just a little too dangerous. They'd made too many mistakes, gotten too many of the wrong people killed and made too many enemies of the sort who didn't ask questions later. They'd gone deep underground and went their separate ways.
o/~Giddy-up giddy-up giddy-up it's grand just holding your hand o/~
God if he had to hear that one more time he was going to scream or go ballistic or something. This just wasn't worth this shit. ...other than the free meals and the roof over his head and place to lay his head and the most important anonymity... But in return, he had to stand out here like a nincompoop, jingling these stupid bells and freezing his peaches off (which you wouldn't think would be an issue, given his moniker.) At least the costume hid him completely. No one would ever realise that it was him.
...So why did that blond guy just do a double-take? Oh NO! Keep walking, keep walking, don't notice me, don't aw crap. Sure enough, the blond poked the arm of the redhead he was walking with and pointed. The redhead looked around, curious, then his eyes went wide and he nearly snorked whatever Morebucks he was drinking out his nose. Yeah yeah you've had your laugh now get going aw no you just have to come over and say hi don't you.
"Len?! Is that you?!"
"Shut up!" Of all the people to have spotted him, why'd it have to be them?
"What are you doing dressed as a Salvation Army Santa?"
"Singing for my supper, now get lost."
"Awwwwww, is that any way to talk to an old friend?"
"We were never exactly friends, Trickster."
"So whatcha running here, a charity scam?"
"Must be," the redhead on his arm said, "The only charity Captain Cold ever gave to was himself!"
Jeezus, is that Piper?! I almost didn't recognise him! "We aren't all bleeding-hearts like you are, Piper."
"OooOOOooo, Santa's Mister Gwumpy today," Trickster singsonged, "You're never gonna get donations with that attitude, Lenny ol' boy, you gotta put some ho ho ho into it and I don't mean the kind with the upper frontal mammarial attributes. Piper, you're supposed to drink your chai nog, not choke on it."
"Y'gotta admit, that'd probably get donations," Piper snickered.
"Anyways, Len, good to see you, we gotta go, don't worry I'm off the clock besides we're after bigger fish now, got no time for small fry anymore. Good luck with your scam, bye bye!"
Len resumed jingling his stupid little bells, glowering as the two walked away, laughing and chatting. Soon they were lost amid the crowds of street shoppers. The snowflakes swirled down, catching in his false beard. Then a thought occurred to him and he looked down at the contents of his cauldron.
Every bill and coin sported a stylised T and the Trickster's smiling face.
o/~ Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring-ting-ting-aling too o/~
It was a bad time to be a Rogue. What with Anti-Life and the Crisis and people coming back from the dead... Not just Barry Allen, not just that Kid Flash, but some of their own as well. He'd heard the rumours and well it was all just a little too dangerous. They'd made too many mistakes, gotten too many of the wrong people killed and made too many enemies of the sort who didn't ask questions later. They'd gone deep underground and went their separate ways.
o/~Giddy-up giddy-up giddy-up it's grand just holding your hand o/~
God if he had to hear that one more time he was going to scream or go ballistic or something. This just wasn't worth this shit. ...other than the free meals and the roof over his head and place to lay his head and the most important anonymity... But in return, he had to stand out here like a nincompoop, jingling these stupid bells and freezing his peaches off (which you wouldn't think would be an issue, given his moniker.) At least the costume hid him completely. No one would ever realise that it was him.
...So why did that blond guy just do a double-take? Oh NO! Keep walking, keep walking, don't notice me, don't aw crap. Sure enough, the blond poked the arm of the redhead he was walking with and pointed. The redhead looked around, curious, then his eyes went wide and he nearly snorked whatever Morebucks he was drinking out his nose. Yeah yeah you've had your laugh now get going aw no you just have to come over and say hi don't you.
"Len?! Is that you?!"
"Shut up!" Of all the people to have spotted him, why'd it have to be them?
"What are you doing dressed as a Salvation Army Santa?"
"Singing for my supper, now get lost."
"Awwwwww, is that any way to talk to an old friend?"
"We were never exactly friends, Trickster."
"So whatcha running here, a charity scam?"
"Must be," the redhead on his arm said, "The only charity Captain Cold ever gave to was himself!"
Jeezus, is that Piper?! I almost didn't recognise him! "We aren't all bleeding-hearts like you are, Piper."
"OooOOOooo, Santa's Mister Gwumpy today," Trickster singsonged, "You're never gonna get donations with that attitude, Lenny ol' boy, you gotta put some ho ho ho into it and I don't mean the kind with the upper frontal mammarial attributes. Piper, you're supposed to drink your chai nog, not choke on it."
"Y'gotta admit, that'd probably get donations," Piper snickered.
"Anyways, Len, good to see you, we gotta go, don't worry I'm off the clock besides we're after bigger fish now, got no time for small fry anymore. Good luck with your scam, bye bye!"
Len resumed jingling his stupid little bells, glowering as the two walked away, laughing and chatting. Soon they were lost amid the crowds of street shoppers. The snowflakes swirled down, catching in his false beard. Then a thought occurred to him and he looked down at the contents of his cauldron.
Every bill and coin sported a stylised T and the Trickster's smiling face.