No Good Deed [Pied Piper]

[swan_songs]

Canon Status: Post-Rogues Revenge.
Genre: ...Songfic?
Rating: G.
Characters: Pied Piper/Hartley Rathaway, mentioned Trickster I/James Jesse.
Pairing: None.
Warnings: Songfic, of sorts. Implied m/m unrequited (or is it?).
Notes: For the piper_trickster Halloween challenge, prompt #34--"Wicked".
Summary: Piper is alone in Iron Heights, but there's one source of

Comments

[neotoma]

I just want to see Wally or Piper's first encounter with puppet-Trickster. The reactions should be *amusing*.

I liked that Geoff Johns hung a lampshade on the Rogues having phenomenal tech and yet using it for theft and revenge in the Mirror Master profile -- they're having *fun* doing it their way, and there is no reason for them to change as long they're getting what they want out of it.

I adore Wally, but he is lazy about using his brains. I don't know much about Barry, but I look forward to seeing what will happen in Rebirth -- *all* of the Flashes, most of the Rogues should make for an interesting read.

Yes, Linda should figure it out! I can see her telling Wally, and Wally getting that "naaaah, that's not true," grin on his face, and then having a minor freak when she convinces him that "yes, Piper *is* that powerful, thank goodness he doesn't seem to want to use it for anything except helping you run around in your pajamas rescuing people."

Hee. The polka dots. Poor Wally would get back from time traveling, and find Keystone and Central bright and shiny and peaceful and full of people with *bad* fashion statements, and discovers Piper at the center of it...

[katzedecimal]

just want to see Wally or Piper's first encounter with puppet-Trickster. The reactions should be *amusing*.

"I'm going to have to hate you now, aren't I." "...i'm sorry.." "I mean, okay, points for resurrection symphony but minus several million for good thinking, right." "...i'm so sorry..." "I mean, as if it wasn't bad enough being chained up to you for months, now I have to spend the rest of eternity with your hand up my ass." "...i'm... o.O;;;; ....James, you just.. you just broke what was left of my brain, thanks for that..." "Okay, so we're even."

[cygna_hime]

Piper's probably better off with his brain broken, really. More efficient that way. (I couldn't just resurrect James; that would be no fun, and not consistent with the song either. Gotta keep an eye on your mythic resonance when you do these things.) Don't worry, Trickster, you'll get fixed up into some body that doesn't make you and Piper look like a cheap Scarface/Ventriloquist knockoff.

But that encounter is NOT GOING TO BE WRITTEN because this is a ONE-SHOT, do you hear me?!

...Goddammit.

[katzedecimal]

that doesn't make you and Piper look like a cheap Scarface/Ventriloquist knockoff.

Bwa-hahaha!!!

But that encounter is NOT GOING TO BE WRITTEN because this is a ONE-SHOT, do you hear me?!

Whaaaaaaaaaat? We're just speculatinnnnnnnng. Same as we do for the comiiiiiiiics. *pout* ^_~

[neotoma]

Piper's probably better off with his brain broken

I dunno. His brokenness comes out as depression, and really, who wants him playing sad songs when he's got reality manipulating power powering out of him without his conscious intent

But that encounter is NOT GOING TO BE WRITTEN because this is a ONE-SHOT, do you hear me?!

Suuuuure it is. ;)

[neotoma]

Oh, that would be hilarious and awful.

And do we want a broken Piper wandering around still trying to help people yet unaware of the kind of power he has? You'd get a lot more worrying and/or terrifying things than ensouled puppets, I think.

I'm thinking of the results of trying out 'Pax' on the population of Miranda in Serenity, among other things. Otoh, the forces of Apokalips suddenly lying down and giving up the ghost would be beneficial for the heroes of Earth...

[katzedecimal]

And do we want a broken Piper wandering around still trying to help people yet unaware of the kind of power he has? You'd get a lot more worrying and/or terrifying things than ensouled puppets, I think.

Like creating boom tubes and hopping universes and oh dear the Rogues.... XD

[neotoma]

Well, so far in your story, he's mostly sane. Somewhat depressed, but thinking rationally, conversations with rats not withstanding.

If he really started thinking irrationally, you could get things like raising the dead, 'fixing' villians a la the Justice Lords (though not with the heat-beam lobotomies, just compulsions to be polite and law-abiding and kind to rats) and god knows what else. Spontateous sing-a-longs every day? Reconstruction of society as a collection of autonomous work-gangs with governing committees instead of employers and employees? Free rats with every purchase of a musical instrument?

[katzedecimal]

As I said in one of my fics, Piper is so scary *because* the only thing holding him back is himself ^_~

[neotoma]

Indeed. But now I kind of want a story where he's going from depressed but rational, to depressed and psychotic -- you know, a -15 point delusion a la "ice cream makes machines work better, especially computers. Spoon it right in!"

Wally would have a horrible time dealing with him, for starts, because it wouldn't be *right* to hurt Piper just because he's crazy...

[katzedecimal]

Well? *pokepoke* ^___^

[neotoma]

Yeah... I'm not sure I'd be the one to write it. I'm not at all up on what's happening in the DCU right now, I have a list of things to do as long as my arm already, and I'd need an excellent continuity beta.

But I'll try to outline it. It can join the idea of "Trickster is possessing Piper's rats" in the maybe-gets-written-someday queue.

[katzedecimal]

The other two are valid excuses but honestly, I don't think DC knows what's happening in the DCU right now, let alone anybody else XD

[neotoma]

This is what comes having a badly co-ordinated crossover series going on. Well, and allowing Grant Morrison to write it -- he's brilliant, but he skips necessary plot points.

Hmmm... do I set it after the Crisis has finished, or during it for the heroes to notice Central&Keystone are mysteriously not under the control of Darkseid's troops? That Darkseid's troops actually *avoid* the area? Because the idea of Piper just casually and kind of accidentally making his towns a neutral territory appeals to me...

[cygna_hime]

Piper is so scary *because* the only thing holding him back is himself

Personally, I find that makes him less scary, not more. If he had that kind of power but was only being held back by circumstances/someone else/any other reason, I'd be really scared, because what happens if circumstances change? As it is, we've seen him go back and forth and sideways in terms of stuff that's happened around and to him, but he still hasn't, y'know, set himself up as monarch of all he surveys. I therefore have more confidence that he won't do so any time soon.

[neotoma]

I don't think any of the Rogues want to be "monarch of all he surveys". They want to keep their fun and they want to *win*, but that kind of responsibility and planning aren't really in their cards.

Yeah, I don't think he'd be tempted to be in charge. But I think he might be tempted to make everyone agree with him, considering he used hypnotize people into giving him all their money and then all their bank's money. He was a little shaky on the "everyone's free will is sancrosanct", and given the way his power seems to work, mind-whammying people is still his most effective non-lethal attack.