[Text]

[red_dust_rising]

So.

Hi. Operative 417. Nice to meet you all.

Anyone around knew Derek Rayne?

Or hold Derek Rayne's loyalty. Friendship. Something like that. I'd like to know, if you don't mind.

Comments

[Video] fffft. He's such a lier.

[fastaskenyans]

Hey Derek! .....Or... not!Derek. Name's Kid Flash! I've talked to you a few times, well, the old you, I guess, but not way too much! Oh. But you did lose a bet with me. Now you owe me Chinese food. Or a game of laser tag, take your pick.

[Text]

[red_dust_rising]

417. Really.

Yeah, not a chance. And how do you even know that what I think of as Chinese food even corresponds to what you think of Chinese food?

[Video]

[fastaskenyans]

Man, you're grumpy no matter which version of you you are. 417, got it. But dude, you need a better name.

And I've had Chinese food from pretty much every country on Earth, so I'm sure something must be the same. Puerto Rican Chinese food is the best though.

[Text]

[red_dust_rising]

I prefer 'brisk' to 'grumpy'.

...isn't Puerto Rico on the other side of the world from China?

[monsterarises]

Ah, yes. Operative. Welcome back.

Derek and I worked together from time to time, but we were not terribly close. Rip and I, well. THAT'S A FUN STORY TO TELL!

[red_dust_rising]

A 'fun story', huh? Why's that?

[monsterarises]

Oh, it involves shooting and stabbing and me cutting off her head.

[red_dust_rising]

Wow.

Okay.

Why? Or is this just the general "I vill shoot you, I am Nazi" thing she's got going on?

[bounty_chaser]

I never really talked with Derek, but from what I remember he was allied with the Decepticons. Whether or not that was because of his infatuation with Miss Rip Van Winkle, I'm not sure.

[red_dust_rising]

'Infatuation'?

That's some pretty snide disapproval there.

Also. Decepticons?

[bounty_chaser]

Sorry. It was not meant to be snide, just a quick observation.

Decepticons; big robots with a purple symbol. They're bent on dominating this place in one way or another. This ambition seemed to carry from their previous dimension.

[red_dust_rising]

I'd go for 'infatuation' more in the case of a crush. With how vigorously she's defended it, I would tend to assume that it's something that would require a different word, like

[Text stops, for a second.]

Sorry. Language correction comes automatically to me, apparently.

Fear and love of an ally wouldn't have been enough for me to join an army. What else do they have to offer?

[Private]

[red_dust_rising]

...which was a spurious explanation in the first place.

It makes sense that the Operative program would use available bodies, instincts, the wealth of experience, knowledge and skills amassed during a lifetime. It also makes sense that they'd want that kept secret.

[Private]

[red_dust_rising]

The fuck if I know. I've got loyalties, things I knew were true, and then I've got these shadow-memories - memories of having memories, of all fucking things. And they don't fit together.

Really, we're talking the identity crisis of all identity crises.

[Audio]

[owlthemedhero]

Uh. Well, Rayne and I talked a few times and we got along fairly well, I think.

I mean, we had a...friendly sparring match, and when I won he didn't hold it against me. Which is more than I can say for most people I've fought against. But I can't say for sure that we were friends or what he really thought of me.

[Text]

[red_dust_rising]

You won? That's - fairly impressive.

[Audio]

[owlthemedhero]

It's sort of odd to hear y-

[Awkward pause.]

The conditions weren't exactly fair, to tell you the truth.

[Text]

[red_dust_rising]

How were they not fair?