Prompt Post - Part Ten
I am REALLY, REALLY SORRY about taking so long, guys, and about not being around much recently. I've been busier than I have in a while, and it just kept slipping my mind between uni applications and volunteering and all sorts- for some reason I thought we were much further off a new post.
If there is anything I haven't responded to, as of now, I'm ( Read more... )
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Pain.
Darkness.
A low moan… from himself?
Foggy haze swirled, masking the scene before him. Light glinted. metallic gleam, ohcrapthatwasn’tgood-
BANG!
Pain.
Darkness.
Lights out.
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Eyes slowly slid open, words drifting into ears like the whisper of butterfly wings on a summer day.
“Captain Marvel.”
No. Hurts too much, can’t be- A throbbing from the left leg, a steady pound of an ancient rhythm of life. Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.
“Shazam.”
Bright flash…
And nothing.
“Poor little guy, it won’t work.”
“Shazam.”
Bright flash.
Pain.
“Don’t try it again kiddo- it won’t work and all you’ll bring yourself is more pain. So tell me, how does it feel to be helpless?”
Helpless?
This wasn’t helplessness.
Not yet.
Eyes closed, and gentle darkness stole him away. It was the last gentleness.
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“You still haven’t answered the question you know.” The casual words, as pain slowly trickled down past ribs, burning and eating. He held a bottle, clear liquid running onto the body. “How does it feel to be helpless?”
This still was not helpless.
Helplessness was when the stomach roars and cries, when limbs tremble without reason as if cold, and someone in front needs help. But there is not help coming from a weak body.
That is helplessness.
Not this pain, painpain.
Scream. Scream a lonely howl that has no answering chorus and be grateful.
They will come get you eventually.
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Silver light carves away beneath skin, exposing delicate veins to the air. The air rubs the skin raw, weeping red in sorrow.
Time has no place.
Time never has a place. Time is split between adult man and child’s body.
Who is real?
“I wonder why you know- why ever would you bother changing back to this pitiful child.” The silver light digs in deeper, a quiet scrape like wheels against gravel. Or knife against bones. Both are familiar sounds now.
“The mighty Captain Marvel, as strong as Superman. Why be normal?”
Flying high, can’t touch me lifting cars run away stopping villains pain and change a warm hand to welcome me home and hold me tight.
Where are they?
They aren’t late.
They won’t be.
Trust in them. They will come.
A twist and coherent thought is no longer possible.
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“Give it up child. There is no such thing as nice.”
Warm hands, a cookie before bed, a smile.
“Liar.” Weak and raspy, dry as the Sahara Desert, wind rattling through narrow pipes. Still there, still defiant, still confident. “Nice is home.”
A warm bed, someone who waits, bed time and food whenever wished. Home is nice. So very, very nice.
Darkness snapped and slavered, waiting for the inevitable fall. Pain tethered and teetered on the brink. Pain, darkness. Pain. Darkness. Pain. Darkness. Pain. Darkness. Pain. Darkness. Paindarkness. paindarkness.
Where are they?
Not here.
Very well then; they will come- merely have to wait.
Cling to sanity on a island made of firm iron and rock. It won’t bend, it won’t break.
They will come.
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Voices.
Speaking.
To who?
To me
What are they saying?
Have they come yet?
Is it time?
N
O
M
O
R
E
P
A
I
N
?
Voices jumbled together, mixed pieces of a lost puzzle, scattered apart and unable to fit.
“He’s badly injured…” “…Isn’t responding to anything we do…” “Who…do this to a CHILD?!” “…know identity…” “…wipe them off…oh Hera…” “…hear me? Can you…”
Click, in went a puzzle piece. Someone was addressing him.
Respond.
How?
Silver light approaching. Did no one notice? Warn.
Only enough strength for one word.
Something balked. It’ll hurt! No more pain!
Something more stood firm. I am not helpless. I will not be helpless. It’s my word. And they are here to help the rest of the way.
Cracked lips parted, as air gathered in a last blow. One shot was all he got.
“....Sha…zam…”
A lightning bolt from the skies as silver light flashed again-
Darkness
Gentle hands that caught and held and a darkness that protected-!
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Everything is right in the world.
Everything is fine.
Slowly eyes slid open to the gentle glow of a lantern hanging next to the doorway. The room was bathed in that soft light, shapes of what looked like plants…flowers?...shimmering along the edge of the light.
The light wantonly spilled across sheets, play hide and go seek with the darkness.
The darkness swirled for a moment, and for an awful moment, he thought he was going back.
The darkness softened, and drew back.
Another blink, and the room changed.
It was covered in light now, shadows fully chased away except the black shadow in one corner. But it was far away, and couldn’t hurt him through the light… right? He eyed it, measuring the distance.
Five steps.
Five steps to go back to darkness.
He turned away, and let his eyes slide close again.
He wasn’t safe yet, was he?
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When he opened his eyes again, it was total darkness. Fear and terror instantly came clawing at his sanity, leathery wings beating against his peace of mind.
Darkness wasn’t good.
Darkness meant pain
Light? Where was the light?
Fingers scrabbled across sheets, and the darkness stirred.
Freeze. Don’t move. It can see you, and you can’t see it, because it’s all around you, drowning you in its grip…
The darkness shifted further away. A silent breath of relief as knees go weak in gladness that the Darkness passed by without noticing. He took as silent a breath as he could, heart hammering a death roll beneath his skin.
Not safe.
Not SAFE.
N
O
T
S
A
F
E
!
Click.
Light came on, illuminating the dark shadow, and Billy Batson began to laugh. He laughed as tears squeezed out, ribs jolting in pain, the bewildered expression of the man before him making him laugh.
The darkness wasn’t his enemy.
It was his ally.
They had come. The Justice League- or the Young Justice League.
He was safe.
He had been safe for some time now. They had rescued him, and he was safe.
Not Fine. But Safe. Safe was something he could appreciate for now. Fine would come later, with the rising of the sun. For now...
Darkness was protecting him even in the light.
-end-
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I just I jfdkal
ajfkl;ashtiowrehsgljdkn
fhjkaewaiusydgouihjklb2nm4,wefsdviuo
This is what you have reduced me to I mean OH BILLY ;_____;
I really liked the formatting!! And that it was Batman watching over him at the end, and the part with the knife - who was torturing him?? Oh Billy I just want to hug him ;AAAAA;
(Could there possibly be more in the future?? This was so wonderful I want to see some of the aftermath and GUH)
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But Billy's a little sweetheart, and Batman's a big mean old protector, and as for the torturer... I dunno. Maybe some other group?
(As for more, I must warn, it won't be in this formatting. I can't do this formatting for long, so you'll have to deal with plain old paragraphs. That fine with you?)
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(And Billy is the sweetest sweetheart <3)
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The small, frail figure on the bed trembled from the sheer force of the laughter, bent double, arms wrapped protectively around himself. Batman approached slowly, cape swirling around him.
When Billy had woken up earlier, in snaps and fits, he had always shied away from the darkness. They had been afraid at first he would have nightmares- but Batman knew just from looking he was too deeply asleep to even dream.
The childs fit of laughter subsided, as Billy cautiously peeked upwards- his hair had been so caked and matted with blood and flesh they had to shave it all off. The ragged bandages wrapped around his head in a mock turban were clean and dry- for now. They slipped over his eyes, hiding them for a split second.
Cautiously the large man eased back the bandages so that Billy and Batman could stare at each other. Billy wiped away the tears tracking down his face, that crazed, maniacal grin still plastered to his face. “You’re here.”
Batman nodded. Billy shook his head, hand cautiously coming out to clutch at his cape. It was the first thing that every child went for; the smooth cloth that flapped and fluttered in the wind, dark but soothing- the perfect place to hide. Hide your face, hide your body, and let the big grown up handle everything.
Billy sat there for a moment, clinging to the cape, staring up at the dark crusader. “I knew you’d come.” The simple faith of those words shined through in his eyes, sickly bright blue.
Pale fingers, wrapped in bandages the doctors said he’d be lucky to regain full movement in his hands, but luckily he was young and would heal clutched a little harder. Batman took a step closer, watching for a flinch to say he had stepped too close.
He wanted to say that he had shared that faith. That they would come for Billy but… by the time they had found Billy, locked up and broken in body, the Justice League had just about given up and were looking for a body.
“Billy.” His low, rumbling voice could be gentle when he wanted it, and now he handled the child as he would a piece of evidence. “Do you know where you are?”
The child glanced around at the well-lighted room, fingers still wound up in Batmans cape. “I-The Watch tower?” He cautiously said it, sounding out each word as if he’d forgotten how to speak.
Batman nodded. “Do you know how long you’ve been captured?” He watched the child, waiting for the flinch that came with the memories.
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Some children talked better about traumatic incidents if they could cover their face- Billy was probably one on them.
Quickly he forced his mind back onto task, before he could overanalyze the child. This wasn’t an interrogation- it was an apology from the League about taking so long. Nobody should be forced into what Billy had just faced- and the League had failed him by not finding him near as fast as they should have.
“The League-“ He began, feeling the words roll off his tongue as heavily as rocks dropping into a koi pond.
Billy murmured again, softly, “You guys came.” That’s when Batman finally listened and no longer heard.
Billy had waited for them, through the torture, the pain, the screaming madness they had attempted to fill him with- and he had won. No, he was winning. He wasn’t finished yet. He still had the second half to go.
Batman wasn’t one for hugging, or big displays of emotion. So that was why he simply changed tactics. “Is there anything you need Billy?” His voice, formally grave, seemed to bring the child back into the present.
“I-“ Billy hesitated, voice dipping so low it would have been lost among the sond of wind blowing through cornfields, “I want to see Uncle Dudley please.”
Civilians weren’t allowed in the Watchtower.
Rules were made to be bought off with money.
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Superman took over Batmans silent vigil, bearing a tray of food. Billy did much of the same thing, he had with Batman- he clung to the cape with one hand, and ate with the other, slowly, carefully, spilling the least amount of food that he could.
His hand trembled, trembled hard enough that even a blind person would be able to tell it was. He politely refused all help, struggling through the meal.
He ate every last piece of food set before him.
(Superman also knew later, after he had handed off Billy to another hero, that he had thrown up all of that food and some more besides)
When he was at last finished, he placed the spoon to one side, and leaned back eyes closed. Superman hovered for a moment, “Would you like to go to sleep Billy?”
“Not yet.” Billy begged, looking up with pained blue eyes. The bandages on his head were slipping down over his eyes again. “I want Uncle Dudley first.” His face twisted as he looked down, as if realizing something, “Sorry, it’s selfish and stupid… I’ll go back to sleep.”
He sank down beneath covers, the cape slipping through his fingers like water through a sieve. He sank down, white skin against white sheets- pale enough to make Superman wonder for a minute if a normal person could possibly spot him.
Then it struck him he had just completely crushed Billy’s dream. “We’ll do our best. I promise.”
Two orbs of blue ice melted on the pillow, watery with gratitude.
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Superman nodded, knowing the other would catch it. The alien melted in through the door, reforming in green solidarity. He hesitated on the edge of the circle, before at last taking a seat nearby Billy.
Apparently he had been peeking in before, for his own cloak was within easy grabbing distance if Billy really wanted it.
Almost without looking, the child reached for it. J’onn didn’t twitch as the child’s curious fingers brushed against it, even though it wasn’t actually proper clothing at all. It would still feel like a cape. Soft as silk, but light as air.
He caught the feeling of unease from the child, and tapped ever so lightly into his mind, attempting to find the reason.
Billy practically climbed the headrest and up the wall at the slightest mental touch, and J’onn just as quickly withdrew, calling for a female of the species- children were usually much calmer when it came to females.
And it would help that none of the females could mind touch Billy’s mind.
He wondered what exactly the torturers had done as he held up both hands, backing away from the bed. Billy stared with far too wide eyes, obviously no longer in the room, but back again. His body wasn’t listening to his attempts to back through the wall, but the child was trying.
J’onn winced as he felt pain pour through the child, and heard the faint noise of shifting bones.
He also could feel Supermans mind rear up at him, snapping and angry as the single female, Black Canary ran through the hallways as fast as she could. Flash, unfortunately, was still on Earth, tracking down the remnants of the group along with the Young Justice.
The female burst into the room, and instantly too charge. “J’onn, out.”
He left instantly, as she took a step closer to Billy, her voice softening to a coo, “Billy, Billy, look at me Billy. It’s okay Billy, no one here can hurt you.” Her voice dropped, softer and lower before the door hissed shut on J’onn only leaving him with the taste of sour panic and wrenching fear.
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Can I just tell you that this is really, really good
I mean I'd say more than that but my heart just shattered in my chest and I probably ought to look into that
NhhhhGHHHHH just the little details oh God they had to shave Billy's head because his scalp was mangled so badly and he's hiding his face because he's scared I can't I just can't I
SOMEONE GET THAT BOY HIS UNCLE RIGHT NOW!!
(As a side note, I'm glad you have Batman in-character. Everyone, really. ;_;)
And oh Dinah. She is giving me all the feels right now.
Please please please more...!
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They had to shave him, he's got broken bones galore, and he ain't going home anytime soon, but he will heal. For Billy is incorruptible pureness. Teh wizard said so XD
(I'm glad everyones in character. Really, really glad)
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WILLLLLL ALWAAAAAYS LOOOOVE THIS FIIIIIIIIIIIIIC
WILL AAAAAAAAAAAALLLWAYS LOOOOOOVE THIS FIIIIIIIIIIIIC
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Please tell me you're going to continue this =]
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Really good story by the way. I feel so sorry for Billy but am happy that there's at least one good story out there about him.
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I forgot how much I love this it is soo beautiful and heart touching and just great and I love it. Thank you for writing it
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