Wierd Strange Trip - 2 - Demons of Our Own Device
Hank and Billy were spilled out of the strange light that had held them, spilled out into a dark room. The walls glowed with a rough, angry light. It was the same red as was around the door, the same red that was in Hank's eyes before.
Hank remembered his words to Billy and winced. He had been feeling the edges of himself lately, feeling his whole mind seem to come apart. It was only here and now, wherever they are, that he could suddenly feel and see clearly. He nodded. He should apologize to Billy.
As they looked around, Hank shook his head. This place was insane, with walls that appeared to be almost moving. He opened his mouth to speak, but before words could come out, the room heaved.
The floor moved as if it was alive and shifts, as if gravity is uncertain. Out of the center of the floor rose a dark figure. Wearing a kind of armor, armor that moved, as if it too, was alive, it strode forward. Light almost seemed to bend away from it, as if afraid to touch it. And when it spoke, it's voice hurt the ears as if it is something never meant to be heard.
"Welcome to the Night, dear boys.... welcome to your doom."
Hank and Billy didn't have to exchange glances before they were moving. Both have faced dark creatures, gods, beings, villains and petty crooks, and both know how to deal with them, as much as they can.
(Somewhere else, Cassie's head snapped up. She had felt him leaving, his fear then, and now she felt the fear increase. She didn't know what to do, but her worry and fear for him brought her to concentrate, straining to hear him.)
Hank tried to speak, but found that speech was impossible. His glance met Billy's who nodded as well. The being was laughing now, a darker laugh that seemed to creep into Hank and almost hurt. Hank's eyes narrowed and he watched as the being moved closer, waiting.
When the being's eyes moved to Billy for just a moment, Hank flung himself forward, and impacted feet first against the armor and...
Images, warped and out of color and frame, flashed in his mind...
Catherine, achingly beautiful, looked at him with disgust on her face. "I don't know why I ever let you touch me. I'm a woman and an investigator, and damn good at my job. All you are is a loser, and an animal. Pathetic, ugly, and beneath me. I should have left you a long time ago."
He gasped as he watched her, the words digging into him like knives, each one burrowing straight into his heart. "I..."
His words were stolen by the next image's appearance, as Lindsay looked at him, laughing. "Mom! Mom! Look at the freak! " Her face contorted in hate. "How dare you try to be my daddy! How dare you! I hate you!"
He winced, feeling those words too, closing his eyes.
But his eyes were forced open when he heard the next voices.
Scott, Jean, Warren, and Bobby stood there, laughing and pointing, with looks of disdain and disgust, and pity, on their faces. "Well, looks like you finally realized you weren't good enough for us, huh? Bad enough we had to drag you with us all those years, endure your snobbery, your acting like you were somehow better because of your intellect. All of that was bad enough, but for you to act as if you should be as good or as important as us? That was too much to bear. You were never one of us. Never." Warren's words were sneering.
Bobby's cut just as bad. "To think I called you a friend. You were never my friend, you were just the big guy who kept all the plebes off of me. Your jokes and your humor was pathetic."
And Jean... Jean looked at him with anger. "You had a crush on me? You? And then on my daughter as well? What kind of sick, perverted little beast boy are you? As if either of us would ever want you!"
And in the end, as always, there was Scott, whose words cut the deepest. "You don't belong. Not as an X-Man, not as a Doctor, and not as a friend. You were never good enough."
He was shaking as the words hit, again and again, seeming to sink into him, along with everything else that was already there.
And he lifted his head and screamed.
Billy reacted, as soon as Hank flinched back and screamed, which seemed to happen with a suddenness. The thing.,.. whatever it was, had swarmed toward Hank and it's hands were wielding a sword, bringing it down against Hank with something like a thunk sound.
Billy felt his vision go red as he slammed into the monster and then....
Images hit him.
His parents looked at him, his mother wailing. "Woe! That we had such a fool for a son, disobedient, and a nothing. You disappoint me!" His father's face was lined with anguish. "Why didn't you save us when you could? You didn't even try! Nothing should have been as important as family. Nothing!"
He reeled back, shocked, losing his footing, falling.
Mary was there, his sister, her face twisted in anger and hate. "How could you leave us all behind? How could you let us be hurt? You took the power away and you kept it all to yourself! And now... now we are all doomed because of your selfish, childish actions! I hate you! I HATE YOU!"
He cried out at her words, feeling loss surge in him.
(Cassie was worried, she felt his loss and pain, his fear and sorrow like a knife and she didn't know where he was, or what was going on, but her anger flared as she realized something or someone was hurting him. She steadied herself, afraid, and made herself find her room again, settling and concentrating.)
Freddy Freeman, cousin and fellow hero looked at him with disdain as he joined Mary. :"You thought you could protect her? Could keep us apart>? You never even had a chance. We were together from the start. Why should we listen to a coward who hides behind another face? Why should we even try?"
Billy scrabbled back, crying.
Stargirl watched him, crying, angry, hateful. "You abandoned me, rather than tell your secret. You abandoned me and left me and broke my heart because you were afraid to be treated like a kid. You disgust me. I don't know what I ever saw in you."
Stephanie was there, too, with Zuko. "God... what a loser! You were never a hero, were you? It was all just a lie and an act, something to out on and pretend so you could feel like you weren't a complete and utter loser and fool. You were never a man and you never came close to making me feel like a woman. You never came close to even being in my heart. All you did was take, never give. And you didn't even care enough to try to get me back."
Zuko's sneer grew. "You little coward. You little... dung. You never even were worth thinking of as a rival or as a threat,. Without your powers, without your mask, you're nothing., Even with them, all you were was a bully and a fool. A peasant playing a king." He laughed, and Stephanie joined them, and the laughter drove Billy back.
Billy scrambled backward, feeling utterly helpless and hopeless.
(And elsewhere Cassie opened up, sending love, and support, and respect, sending laughter of the kind sort, and remembrances of times together, clutching the memory keeper in her hands. She sent them with all her heart and soul and hoped, with everything she had, that they were enough.)
And in the middle of his despair, in the middle of his pain and fear, the support and love and care reached Billy. It washed over him like a water putting out a fire, like morning rain and spring air, and strength surged in him as he fought back. The surge of strength caught the being off-guard and his control fell away, and Billy suddenly saw things clearly again, and opened his eyes. the monster was above him, sword swinging down, eyes going wide as he felt Billy come out of his trance. Billy grinned with a surge of anger and hope as he felt the ability to speak return.
"SHAZAM."
Lightning slammed through dimensions and into the room, and through the being,. transfixing it and bringing a scream as it seemed to shudder, shimmer, and then explode into strange streamers that vanished away. Billy lay, crying, and knew it's name, somehow, as the Shadow of Knight Alley, and knew, too, that it wasn't dead. But for now, it was gone.
He lay there for a long moment, and breathed. When he could, he sent a surge of love, and thanks and assurance toward Cassie. He grinned as he scrubbed his face. He didn't know what he had done to deserve her, but she was amazing. He slowly collected himself and went to Hank, wincing at the sword bruises and cuts from sword and from whatever else that thing did to him. He had to get Hank to some help, and fast.
Even as he thought it, a blue light came from behind him, and he saw a portal untouched by red, appear behind him. He didn't know where it led, but he hoped beyond hope that it was a better place than here.
He nodded and lifted Hank, straining to drag-carry his friend toward the portal and into it.
Hank remembered his words to Billy and winced. He had been feeling the edges of himself lately, feeling his whole mind seem to come apart. It was only here and now, wherever they are, that he could suddenly feel and see clearly. He nodded. He should apologize to Billy.
As they looked around, Hank shook his head. This place was insane, with walls that appeared to be almost moving. He opened his mouth to speak, but before words could come out, the room heaved.
The floor moved as if it was alive and shifts, as if gravity is uncertain. Out of the center of the floor rose a dark figure. Wearing a kind of armor, armor that moved, as if it too, was alive, it strode forward. Light almost seemed to bend away from it, as if afraid to touch it. And when it spoke, it's voice hurt the ears as if it is something never meant to be heard.
"Welcome to the Night, dear boys.... welcome to your doom."
Hank and Billy didn't have to exchange glances before they were moving. Both have faced dark creatures, gods, beings, villains and petty crooks, and both know how to deal with them, as much as they can.
(Somewhere else, Cassie's head snapped up. She had felt him leaving, his fear then, and now she felt the fear increase. She didn't know what to do, but her worry and fear for him brought her to concentrate, straining to hear him.)
Hank tried to speak, but found that speech was impossible. His glance met Billy's who nodded as well. The being was laughing now, a darker laugh that seemed to creep into Hank and almost hurt. Hank's eyes narrowed and he watched as the being moved closer, waiting.
When the being's eyes moved to Billy for just a moment, Hank flung himself forward, and impacted feet first against the armor and...
Images, warped and out of color and frame, flashed in his mind...
Catherine, achingly beautiful, looked at him with disgust on her face. "I don't know why I ever let you touch me. I'm a woman and an investigator, and damn good at my job. All you are is a loser, and an animal. Pathetic, ugly, and beneath me. I should have left you a long time ago."
He gasped as he watched her, the words digging into him like knives, each one burrowing straight into his heart. "I..."
His words were stolen by the next image's appearance, as Lindsay looked at him, laughing. "Mom! Mom! Look at the freak! " Her face contorted in hate. "How dare you try to be my daddy! How dare you! I hate you!"
He winced, feeling those words too, closing his eyes.
But his eyes were forced open when he heard the next voices.
Scott, Jean, Warren, and Bobby stood there, laughing and pointing, with looks of disdain and disgust, and pity, on their faces. "Well, looks like you finally realized you weren't good enough for us, huh? Bad enough we had to drag you with us all those years, endure your snobbery, your acting like you were somehow better because of your intellect. All of that was bad enough, but for you to act as if you should be as good or as important as us? That was too much to bear. You were never one of us. Never." Warren's words were sneering.
Bobby's cut just as bad. "To think I called you a friend. You were never my friend, you were just the big guy who kept all the plebes off of me. Your jokes and your humor was pathetic."
And Jean... Jean looked at him with anger. "You had a crush on me? You? And then on my daughter as well? What kind of sick, perverted little beast boy are you? As if either of us would ever want you!"
And in the end, as always, there was Scott, whose words cut the deepest. "You don't belong. Not as an X-Man, not as a Doctor, and not as a friend. You were never good enough."
He was shaking as the words hit, again and again, seeming to sink into him, along with everything else that was already there.
And he lifted his head and screamed.
Billy reacted, as soon as Hank flinched back and screamed, which seemed to happen with a suddenness. The thing.,.. whatever it was, had swarmed toward Hank and it's hands were wielding a sword, bringing it down against Hank with something like a thunk sound.
Billy felt his vision go red as he slammed into the monster and then....
Images hit him.
His parents looked at him, his mother wailing. "Woe! That we had such a fool for a son, disobedient, and a nothing. You disappoint me!" His father's face was lined with anguish. "Why didn't you save us when you could? You didn't even try! Nothing should have been as important as family. Nothing!"
He reeled back, shocked, losing his footing, falling.
Mary was there, his sister, her face twisted in anger and hate. "How could you leave us all behind? How could you let us be hurt? You took the power away and you kept it all to yourself! And now... now we are all doomed because of your selfish, childish actions! I hate you! I HATE YOU!"
He cried out at her words, feeling loss surge in him.
(Cassie was worried, she felt his loss and pain, his fear and sorrow like a knife and she didn't know where he was, or what was going on, but her anger flared as she realized something or someone was hurting him. She steadied herself, afraid, and made herself find her room again, settling and concentrating.)
Freddy Freeman, cousin and fellow hero looked at him with disdain as he joined Mary. :"You thought you could protect her? Could keep us apart>? You never even had a chance. We were together from the start. Why should we listen to a coward who hides behind another face? Why should we even try?"
Billy scrabbled back, crying.
Stargirl watched him, crying, angry, hateful. "You abandoned me, rather than tell your secret. You abandoned me and left me and broke my heart because you were afraid to be treated like a kid. You disgust me. I don't know what I ever saw in you."
Stephanie was there, too, with Zuko. "God... what a loser! You were never a hero, were you? It was all just a lie and an act, something to out on and pretend so you could feel like you weren't a complete and utter loser and fool. You were never a man and you never came close to making me feel like a woman. You never came close to even being in my heart. All you did was take, never give. And you didn't even care enough to try to get me back."
Zuko's sneer grew. "You little coward. You little... dung. You never even were worth thinking of as a rival or as a threat,. Without your powers, without your mask, you're nothing., Even with them, all you were was a bully and a fool. A peasant playing a king." He laughed, and Stephanie joined them, and the laughter drove Billy back.
Billy scrambled backward, feeling utterly helpless and hopeless.
(And elsewhere Cassie opened up, sending love, and support, and respect, sending laughter of the kind sort, and remembrances of times together, clutching the memory keeper in her hands. She sent them with all her heart and soul and hoped, with everything she had, that they were enough.)
And in the middle of his despair, in the middle of his pain and fear, the support and love and care reached Billy. It washed over him like a water putting out a fire, like morning rain and spring air, and strength surged in him as he fought back. The surge of strength caught the being off-guard and his control fell away, and Billy suddenly saw things clearly again, and opened his eyes. the monster was above him, sword swinging down, eyes going wide as he felt Billy come out of his trance. Billy grinned with a surge of anger and hope as he felt the ability to speak return.
"SHAZAM."
Lightning slammed through dimensions and into the room, and through the being,. transfixing it and bringing a scream as it seemed to shudder, shimmer, and then explode into strange streamers that vanished away. Billy lay, crying, and knew it's name, somehow, as the Shadow of Knight Alley, and knew, too, that it wasn't dead. But for now, it was gone.
He lay there for a long moment, and breathed. When he could, he sent a surge of love, and thanks and assurance toward Cassie. He grinned as he scrubbed his face. He didn't know what he had done to deserve her, but she was amazing. He slowly collected himself and went to Hank, wincing at the sword bruises and cuts from sword and from whatever else that thing did to him. He had to get Hank to some help, and fast.
Even as he thought it, a blue light came from behind him, and he saw a portal untouched by red, appear behind him. He didn't know where it led, but he hoped beyond hope that it was a better place than here.
He nodded and lifted Hank, straining to drag-carry his friend toward the portal and into it.