maskormenacelogs | (no subject)

[Wally shakes his head.] This isn't just about me, dude. It's the whole world's problem. [He frowns.] I don't know what we're gonna do about it, though. Not from here. If nobody remembers anything from here when they go back, what can we do?

[ Robin frowns, that look on his face growing distant, the way it does when he's drawing inward, thinking too much. Some people have been here for years. Robin's been here for five months himself. It's hard to stay focused on finding a way home for that long. ]

Maybe we can find a way to remember. A machine brought us here, a machine sends us home. That's probably what messes with our memories, too.

[ One more thing for his to-do list. ]

It might be a self-preservation mechanism. This time travel crap really sounds like something that could drive somebody crazy, dude. [Wally swings his legs.] Maybe I do remember being here last, really deep down somewhere. Like how you can't actually delete something from a computer.

[ The corner of Robin's mouth quirks up in a tired smile. At least even when they're discussing the possibly-inevitable apocalypse, he's still not above picking on his best friend. ]

Yeah, dude. Maybe we should talk to a hypnotist.

God, couldn't you have at least suggested an MRI or CT scan? Something with credibility? I feel like the next suggestion I get is gonna be a witch doctor.

If only Zatanna were here.

[ He looks up at the sky, sighing. ]

We'll figure it out, KF. It's just... one more thing. And even if we don't, it sounds like Bart's got it under control. For the most part.

... Did he say anything about 2016? Besides what he came to stop.

Not really. And I didn't push; I was lucky to get out of him what I did, and he- [Wally didn't like how Bart looked during that. It made him feel guilty; he wanted answers, he wanted the truth, and he got it. But he bullied a kid -his own cousin- to get it. It left him with a sour taste in his mouth, for sure. He hadn't lied about anything, and he'd meant every word he said about family, but it was still manipulative. And he doesn't like it.] However he grew up, I think it messed him up kind of bad. He shuts down dude, completely. I don't want him to get used to doing that here just because he's our only source of info, y'know? Not when we don't even have a plan on how we're gonna retain it once we leave.

[ He hates to admit it, but Wally's right. Whatever he's hiding, Bart's still a kid. Dick remembers how he'd felt after he'd lost his family, how miserable he'd been, the way he'd tried to be numb because it was better than the alternative. The way he couldn't talk about it for weeks.

This kid's different, but he's obviously been through hell. Despite everything, Dick can't help but feel for him. ]

Okay. So we just figure out a way to remember. And prevent... whatever happens from happening. And save the planet. Piece of cake.

Edited 2014-09-06 05:12 (UTC)

[Good. He'd been a little worried Robin would press, but looks like it's not one of those days.]

Hey, we remember stuff and prevent stuff like every day. That's easy. Saving the planet, a little taller an order but we can handle that too. That's what we train for, right?

Yeah. Taking the world by storm, like you said. Nothing we can't handle. And we've got the League back home, too. And everyone else.

Exactly. Everyone else'll be there to help. [KF gives Robin a knowing look.] So no taking all of this on yourself, okay?

Working on it.

[ His expression sobers, and he bumps Wally's shoulder with his fist. ]

And you come talk to me if it starts to get to you. I know it's not easy, hearing about this stuff. Alternate universes, preventable futures, whatever — it's still family.

[ He knows that much from experience. Not that he's mentioned it to anyone else. But do as he says, not as he does. ]

[KF shrugs uneasily.] Not like I'm the only one. And it's not like it's the first time. You've talked to CK, right?

... Yeah. [ Just as uneasy. ] She told me— a lot.

[KF watches Robin before returning his attention to the ground below, swinging his legs a couple times.]

...I just...I never thought anything like this could happen to us. To the League. They make everything look so...insignificant, compared to them. Y'know? And I mean, I always assumed we'd be them someday, take their places and we'd know exactly what to do.

But we won't. We won't, will we? We'll never just know what to do.

... Even Batman doesn't have all the answers. He's just... really good at acting like he does.

[ Dick, fired. Another Robin, dead. Batman in retirement. Yeah. A lot can go wrong, even for him. ]

I don't think anyone always knows what to do. We just do our best.

Edited 2014-09-08 05:16 (UTC)

[KF makes a small noise, an exhale.] I know. I know you know too, I just...that's what it felt like.

[ He's quiet for a moment before he slides an arm around KF's shoulders, his expression calm, a little wistful. ]

I think that might just mean we're growing up, dude.

[The corner of KF's mouth quirks up and he stays slumped, if only so Robin's arm doesn't slide off.] I don't remember signing up for that when we said we wanted to stop being treated like kids.

[Except that's exactly what they wanted. He'd just been hoping it would be less shitty. Granted, things only really started getting shitty since he got here, but...]

[ Robin laughs, a soft exhale, swinging his legs slowly. ]

Maybe we should go to Disneyland. The whole team. Your weird cousin included.

Dunno how safe that is. Whenever all of us get together we tend to make things explode. Nitric acid and hydrazine, dude. [Kid mimes an explosion.] Pretty sure we'll traumatize some poor kid if we blow up Mickey Mouse.

That's a risk I'm willing to take.

[ He squeezes Wally's shoulder a little. ]

Yeah, you're right. What are the hopes and dreams of children in the face of us having fun, anyway? [KF smiles a little before elbowing Robin in the ribs.] Actually dude, I have six passes to Wet N' Wild. Somebody who's desperately in love with me left them on my desk.

[ ... wait what ]

A, if they were in love with you they probably would've just gotten two, but B, seriously? Who are you gonna invite?

...who am I- are you playing with me? There's six tickets, dude. [KF counts off on his fingers.] You, me, Art, SB, Bart, and probably someone else, I dunno. Save it for a rainy day maybe. ...maybe Jaime. Bart'll want to take Jaime.

Edited 2014-09-08 20:46 (UTC)