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[personal profile] ajremix
I should be doing my history paper. I should be doing my illustration homework. I should be asleep. If nothing else, I should be working on my incredibly late [livejournal.com profile] springkink prompt. Instead, I'm typing up silly little Blue Beetle drabbles because Jaime's fanboying amuses me so. *sigh* I'll get to the stuff I NEED to do. Eventually.

Title: For Science!
Fandom: DCU
Rating: G
Word Count: 796
Characters: Jaime, Ted, minor appearances by Booster, Alberto and Bianca
Summary: Occurs in a displaced timeline in which Ted is not dead. Ted learns the scarab isn’t magic but alien tech. Jaime learns there’s limits as to what you should let your personal heroes do.




Jaime would freely admit that, despite having never known the man existed when he was alive, he somewhat hero-worshiped Ted Kord (a lot). After finding out what he could of the previous Blue Beetle and the way other superheroes talked about him, Jaime felt justified in it. He was told all about Ted’s less heroic personality quirks- the constant joking, the shameless flirting, the pranks -but all that tended to be pushed aside in favor of the traits only those close to him seemed to appreciate while he was alive and everyone else noticed after he died.

Of course death had a tendency of coloring the way people remembered (to hear Brenda tell it, her mother was a saint though Jaime remembered her as a very timid and quiet woman). So even though he took the praises of Ted’s technical genius with a grain of salt, even though Jaime got glimpses of Ted’s personality from the notes jotted down in the margins of his book, even though Guy and Booster would sometimes shake their heads and groan ‘that guy...’ at some memory, Jaime had developed a bit of an expectation as to what Ted was like. A joker, occasionally high-strung, a little eccentric but incredibly loyal, determined and intelligent.

So when Jaime finally got a chance to meet and talk to his amazingly no-longer-dead predecessor, he was practically giddy. And when Ted had asked if he could study the armor the scarab created, Jaime extended that invitation to include a home cooked dinner (and then begged his parents to agree).

Of the things he was expecting, though, it certainly wasn’t being seated in the middle of his bedroom floor in full armor with Ted holding a bunch of not-friendly looking tools, wearing a face-eating mad scientist level grin asking, “Is it safe?”

The scarab promptly told Jaime that no, it most definitely was not safe and Jaime hushed it.

He’s just joking, he’s not actually going to hurt us.

They endured poking and prodding and prying and measuring and what all else Ted was doing, peering this way and that at all the little nooks of alien technology. Every time the pointed stylus shifted a plate, an unpleasant shiver crawled over Jaime’s skin and all the pokes were met with the scarab meeping and grumbling.

/Is he done yet? Can he go away now?/

C’mon, Scarab. It’s just a bit of discomfort. Who knows? Maybe he’ll think up a cool new invention just from looking at us! Wouldn’t that be- “Whoa, okay- bad touch! Bad touch!”

Ted jerked backwards, hands and tools in the air. After a beat he said, “Wait- bad touch? Since when was the upper back a Bad Touch Area?”

“Sorry,” Jaime flushed under his armor. “The scarab really didn’t like you touching back there.”

The older man pulled down his goggles (“Safety first! It sounds like your armor is synapse-response based mass manipulation technology. Don’t want to go putting out an eye because I tug on something and it whacks me out of reflex.” Jaime had the feeling if it weren’t for him, the scarab would’ve done that several times). “I just wanna take a look at how your wings work, then we can stop, okay?”

The scarab made an unhappy noise in Jaime’s head. Jaime tried to soothe it. It wasn’t buying it. The boy dithered for a bit before saying, “It really doesn’t want you poking through there.”

“Aw, c’mon. Just a little- gah!”

“Scarab!” Jaime whirled around as Ted shook out his hand. “Did you just electrocute him?”

/Maaaaybe. Just a little./

“I’m so, so sorry! I really didn’t think- I mean, are you okay?”

“Pfft. If I gave up the first time something electrocuted me or blew up in my face, I’d never get anything done.”

“Wait, how often does that happen?”

“Often enough.”

Personally Jaime thought once was too often. “Did you still want to-“

“Yeah, gimme a second to ground myself, then we’ll try again.”

Downstairs, Booster sat on the couch with Milagro, watching one of her shows full of bright colors, obnoxious characters and bad jokes. It reminded him of being in the JLI.

“If you don’t mind me saying so,” Alberto said conversationally, “I’m a bit surprised to see you here instead of with your friend.”

“They’re doing science,” Booster replied. “Serious business.”

There was a sudden flash of light from Jaime’s open door, the sound of something that couldn’t have been good for one’s health and then, “Owowow- okay, I yield! No more pokey!”

“Don’t kill him! He just came back to life!”

Booster didn’t even blink. “And that’s why I’m down here.”

Alberto exchanged a look with his wife. “And you wonder why the neighbors never come over anymore,” Bianca said.

Date: 2009-12-12 12:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sophiap.livejournal.com
Delightful! I was a huge BB fan and was crushed when they killed off Ted. I adore your take on him. The last few lines, with Booster's explanation/non-reaction, were just perfect.

I'll see your incredibly late springkink prompt and raise you three.

Date: 2009-12-12 06:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] idiosyn.livejournal.com
I'll admit that I was late to the Ted-appreciation party. When I worked in a comic book store I only knew him in passing, but I still found him pretty cool then. And you know if anyone's used to Ted and all things that come with him, it's Booster.

You care to make it four? I have no problems passing mine off to you...

Date: 2009-12-13 05:59 am (UTC)

Date: 2009-12-14 09:02 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] idiosyn.livejournal.com
Thank you^^

Date: 2009-12-13 06:55 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] axolotl-lan.livejournal.com
Awwwwww bad touch!<3 I love the Ted comes back and goes a teeeeeeny bit mad scientist on Jaime!~

Date: 2009-12-14 08:37 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] idiosyn.livejournal.com
He'd either go mad scientist or be all miffed that the alien tech scarab wouldn't work for the science guy XD

Date: 2009-12-13 07:23 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] xturncoatxiii.livejournal.com
THAT WAS AWESOME!

Oh Ted, your one true love is science. ♥

ahh everyone was so perfect.

Date: 2009-12-14 08:40 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] idiosyn.livejournal.com
Science is such a tease, giving just a tantalizing morsel of her hidden fruits before dancing away to be chased and everyone knows Ted can't fight temptation!

Thank you^^

Date: 2009-12-13 07:30 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] 49thidentity.livejournal.com
I LOVED IT. <3 The dialogue was wonderful, all the characters were just perfect, and I love how grumpy the Scarab was, heehee.

Date: 2009-12-14 08:41 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] idiosyn.livejournal.com
Thank you! This being the first time I worked with these characters, it's good to know I didn't mangle them horribly^^ I'm rather fond of grumpy Scarab, myself actually XD

Date: 2009-12-13 08:57 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] faile-neume.livejournal.com
This was great! I really loved the interaction between the two, you had them working off each other really well :)

Date: 2009-12-14 08:56 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] idiosyn.livejournal.com
I'm glad! After all, it's the interactions (as sadly limited as dual beetle banter as there is) is what attracted me to these guys!

Date: 2009-12-13 09:02 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tawg.livejournal.com
I liked this - the comments about death colouring people were so true, and it was a nice way to ground Jamie's fanboy-ness. The 'bad touch!' exchange made me laugh, and the line
“Pfft. If I gave up the first time something electrocuted me or blew up in my face, I’d never get anything done.”
made me chuckle.

Date: 2009-12-14 09:02 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] idiosyn.livejournal.com
I don't doubt that Jaime is smart enough to realize something like that (i also don't doubt jaime would be dumbfounded when he realizes just how much of a dork ted really is, but that's something else |D).

I'm sure electrocution and explosions are just an everyday occurrence to Ted. He has science to make! He has no time whine about a little body pain!

Date: 2009-12-13 06:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kinosino.livejournal.com
Adorable! Everyone is so adorable! ♥

Date: 2009-12-14 09:03 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] idiosyn.livejournal.com
Thanks^^

Date: 2009-12-14 01:22 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] commodore-sd.livejournal.com
Aw, this is cute. One reason I would like to see Ted come back, really, is because I think Jaime would totally fanboy over him.

Date: 2009-12-14 09:04 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] idiosyn.livejournal.com
I think so, too. Ted would be like his awesome uncle who would occasionally embarrass Jaime with bad jokes and dorkatude but would mostly be the coolest adult ever.

Date: 2009-12-14 01:34 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jaclynhyde.livejournal.com
I love everything about this fic. ♥ I'm a sucker for Jaime hanging out with Ted and/or Booster, and they're just adorable here. And the scarab. And everything.

Date: 2009-12-14 09:06 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] idiosyn.livejournal.com
I think there needs to be more Jaime period, but doubly so with him hanging out with Ted, Booster or both.

Date: 2009-12-15 02:25 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] turntap2.livejournal.com
OH MY GOOOOD. My suitemates must think I'm insane. I literally fist-pumped, fangirl-squeed, and laughed manically through parts of this ficlet.

Owowow- okay, I yield! No more pokey!”

OH JESUS MOOOAAAR.

Date: 2009-12-15 05:13 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] idiosyn.livejournal.com
Hahaha, I love being told I make people flail and cause others to question their sanity XD

Date: 2009-12-15 10:48 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] caiusmajor.livejournal.com
Heee, omg that is cute. Booster's utter familiarity with the science is the best part, although Ted and Jaime are adorable too. :D

Date: 2009-12-16 01:20 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] idiosyn.livejournal.com
If anyone knows how obsessive Ted gets with science, it's Booster XD And what I wouldn't give for canon Ted and Jaime adorableness!

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