Comments | jla_watchtower: The Chili Party continues

lanternslight in jla_watchtower

The Chili Party continues

Sep 16, 2005 15:27

Hal leads Arisia onto the dancefloor, taking a brief look around the crowded bar.

The room is full of heroes. Friends. Allies.

So many people. Superman showed. Wonder Woman showed. Jay and Joan are here. Booker and Plaz have crashed it.

Oh, yeah, he thinks as he pulls Arisia in close for a dance, it's good to be alive.

green lantern arisia, black canary, green lantern kilowog, detective chimp, superman, green lantern john stewart, brainiac-5, stargirl, question, hawkwoman, joan garrick, kip blackwell, firebrand, chili party, major disaster, fauna, martian manhunter, green arrow connor hawke

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martian_manhunt September 16 2005, 16:21:08 UTC

J'onn approaches John Stewart. "John, do you have a moment?"

theotherlantern September 16 2005, 16:58:03 UTC

John turns, a little bit surprised with who enters his field of vision.

"Always got time for you, J'onn," comes the reply, as he sips on his beer. A bit more relaxed than usual... but he'll probably sense some tension creeping back into his muscles at the realization of what he just might be about to hear.

Man's never forgiven him for Xanshi. Which is only fair, since he's never forgiven himself, either.

martian_manhunt September 16 2005, 23:05:55 UTC

"I wanted to speak to you after the Tribunal, but with Ra's' plague... I'm afraid I didn't get the chance."

theotherlantern September 16 2005, 23:07:49 UTC

"That's probably because I lit out early. What's on your mind?"

martian_manhunt September 16 2005, 23:09:23 UTC

"You... did well on the council. I am glad that we had you with us." He pauses, taking a breath, as if uneasy with continuing.

theotherlantern September 16 2005, 23:14:10 UTC

He looks the Martian in the eyes, intently. He might take this at face value if he hadn't had the amount to drink that he's had... but that can be said about a lot of things in the world.

"Please don't lie to me, J'onn. If there's anybody out there that's not just going to spout the right-sounding pleasantries at me, I'm expecting it to be you. Speak freely."

martian_manhunt September 16 2005, 23:16:53 UTC

"It's not my intent to lie to you," J'onn tells him, a little frustrated. "I..." He closes his eyes and collects himself. "John, we have all made mistakes. When we have the power and abilites we do, the consequences of those mistakes are exponentially larger."

theotherlantern September 16 2005, 23:20:37 UTC

"You can say that again," he blurts in response, before swallowing back another bit of beer. Deep breath.

"I don't know if I can handle reliving hell right now," he adds, which would seem to run counter to his request to speak freely. You'll get that with the tipsy.

"Tell me... how do you feel about the tribunal overall? You think we did the right thing?"

martian_manhunt September 16 2005, 23:23:14 UTC

"I think that we did what we had to. And I think that you did an exceptional job. Lastly, I came to a realization."

He looks directly at John. "I have been very hard on you, John. Undeservedly so."

theotherlantern September 16 2005, 23:27:31 UTC

He wasn't expecting that, and it shuts him up for a moment.

"How can I not deserve anything you throw at me about that? Every day, I wake up surprised that I haven't been thrown out of the League, that someone hasn't suddenly remembered what I've done and thought 'oh, he's still there? Remind me to boot his ass after lunch.'"

martian_manhunt September 16 2005, 23:30:31 UTC

"You made a mistake, John." He looks saddened. "Did you know that I once made a mistake very similar to the one that Batman made recently?"

theotherlantern September 16 2005, 23:33:16 UTC

John nods to this.

"If I heard it right... this was back before you really knew anybody. Amassing files on people for your own protection, right?"

martian_manhunt September 16 2005, 23:40:12 UTC

J'onn nods. "The files were stolen. Used by the Daximites in their invasion. It could have destroyed the League... before it even formed." He looks... ashamed.

"My point, John, is that we make mistakes. We all wish that Xanshi was not destroyed. But... it was not intentional. It was an accident. A terrible accident. And I have held that over your head too long. That is not the behavior of a friend."

theotherlantern September 17 2005, 00:19:37 UTC

John takes a deep breath, to steady himself against the alcohol. God, he'd like to just accept this and feel good about it, but... you don't get a sad guy drunk and expect him not to tell people why. "J'onn, you've got no reason to feel ashamed. The League didn't exist, you didn't know who to trust."

His head bows.

"You have every RIGHT to hold that over my head. EVERYBODY does. You had every right to expect me to have known what I was doing. I had the uniform, I had the ring, I had the job, I had the responsibility, and I just got cocky and arrogant, and a whole planetful of people who WEREN'T ME paid the price for it. I appreciate what you're trying to do here, and I thank you... but it's really not necessary."

Another sad look up, and his tone grows morose.

"Y'know... sometimes, when I look at you, I realize exactly how I should die."

martian_manhunt September 17 2005, 00:23:22 UTC

"How is that, John?"

theotherlantern September 17 2005, 00:32:05 UTC

Tomorrow he'll realize he shouldn't have brought this up at all.

"Actually, it's you, it's Kilowog, it's Kal... all of you, the last survivors of a doomed world."

He sighs. "Somewhere along the line, the last survivor of Xanshi... Yrra Cynril's gonna catch up to me, and I'm gonna deserve whatever she does to me."

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