[fic][DCU, Rip, Booster, PG] Father's Son
Aug. 30th, 2010 07:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ajremixTitle: Father’s Son
Fandom: DCU
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1591
Characters: Rip, Booster, a bit of Skeets
Summary: An almost father-son moment.
Rip didn’t remember what he was dreaming about- he didn’t even remember falling asleep -but he slowly, blearily was aware of his father’s back, warm and strong, under his cheek. The only other thing he knew was that he was cold and wet, so he tucked his arms against his chest and pressed his face between his father’s shoulder blades with a little ‘mph’.
“Rip?” His father sounded oddly small and far away. “Rip, are you awake?”
“Mmm.”
“C’mon,” a shoulder jiggled under his head and the back suddenly didn’t feel as big as Rip remembered it being, “wake up.”
“Nngh.”
“Rip, wake up. You need to wake up. I can’t keep carrying you.”
Get up. He needed to get up. His father had something important to show him. Rip tilted his head to one side, butting up against the back of his father’s neck. “Dad?”
“Man, I hope not.”
Rip pried open his eyes, then squeezed them shut as blisteringly cold air stung them. He tried again, eyes watering as he did.. A golden bubble surrounded them, buffeted by wind and snow. Beyond that there was nothing but white and dark- the sheer emptiness of a faceless, glacial landscape. It all hit Rip at once and he looked down at the person carrying him.
“Booster,” he winced to himself, “what happened?”
“The ice broke under our feet and you fell in some water.” Booster’s breath hung around them, thick and sweeping past their shoulders. Rip could feel him shivering, even in the protective confines of his costume. “You’ve been unconscious for about ten minutes now. I was starting to get worried.”
“I’m fine.” Rip tugged at his leg until Booster let go, carefully letting Rip slid onto his feet. He faltered for a moment, but Booster was right there, slinging an arm across Rip’s back. Rip was having a hard time shivering- that wasn’t good. “We need to get some shelter.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to find us,” Booster said with a flat tone from the back of his throat- a good indicator that he was annoyed with Rip stating the obvious as if he didn’t think Booster could figure it out on his own. “But it’s hard to see anything and I’m not sending Skeets out to get tossed around in the wind.”
“Where is Skeets?”
“Right here, Dr. Hunter,” the little robot said, floating down to shoulder level. “I’m afraid the snow has reduced my scanners drastically.”
Rip’s brow furrowed, rubbing at his chest, trying to generate some heat. “So you’ve been wandering aimlessly?”
Booster snorted and his annoyance grew. “Surprisingly- no. Skeets detected a rock face. If we can’t find a cave there, I’m going to blast a hole in it for us to get in while we wait for the wind to let up, day to come or we think of a better idea.”
“Alright,” Rip said, trudging along with no minor difficulty. “Let’s keep going, then.”
~*~*~*~
It took the better part of an hour for them to reach the rock, even when the wind eased up enough for Booster to fly himself and Rip part of the way. It took almost twenty more minutes for Booster to make a hole big enough for the three of them, blaster settings low to keep from causing an avalanche.
The two men settled in the small space, Skeets at their feet and radiating heat. The confines of the cave kept the heat trapped much better than Booster’s forcefield had. Rip was practically convulsing with shivers, but it was better than the opposite. Rip would probably be able to think of a way to get them out of there when he could feel all his extremities again.
“So,” Booster said after a long stretch of silence between them, “what’s your father like?”
Rip gave him a sideways look. “What?”
“Your dad. I mean- if you mistake me for him, he must be incredibly handsome and talented, right?” Booster tried to give one of his over-the-top, megawatt smiles but fatigue and the cold sapped the effort right out.
“Why do you want to know?”
Rip was expecting an excuse like ‘I’m bored’ or ‘Just something to pass the time’. Instead he got, “You know what mine’s like. I just... I like hearing about people’s dads. Ted thought because mine was so crappy, I try to relive my childhood vicariously through other people’s. But Ted had a pretty crappy father, too, and he never asked about people’s parents so...” Booster hunched forward over his knees, flicking at a bit of rock and sending it clattering to the cave opening. It was obvious through his posture that Booster didn’t expect Rip to answer, but...
Well, Rip could always just blame it on hypothermia. “My dad means the world to me.” From the corner of his eye, Rip could see Booster turn to look at him. “He taught me everything he knew and what he didn’t, he made sure I learned from the best people he could find. He had a crappy childhood, too, but he wasn’t ashamed to talk about it. But he was determined that I’d never have to deal with what he did.”
Rip clenched and unclenched his fists, his fingers starting to tingle and burn. “He wasn’t always there for me, but he always was when he could be and when I really needed him. He’s not the best father, sometimes he pushed a little too hard, got me doing things I wasn’t really ready to do, but he tried for me. He wanted to be the best father he could be and he was. I love him dearly and I wouldn’t trade a second spent with him for anyone.”
Booster’s chin dropped to his knees, staring into nothing. “Must be nice having a dad like that. You said your dad taught you, right? Does that mean he was a Time Master, too?”
“Still is. Probably the best.”
“Guess you’re really slumming it, then.” Booster gave a laugh that sounded more bitter than he probably intended. “You were taught by the best and now you’re stuck with me.”
Rip let out a long, quiet breath. “You’re not bad at this, Booster. It’s an extremely difficult job and you’re still learning- and you’ll honestly never stop learning. No mission is like any other, they’re all just building blocks so you can figure out what to do a little bit quicker, so you make less mistakes, but there’s never any real template to how you do these. I was basically raised into this job and I’m still learning as I go, too. I just have more experience so I make less mistakes is all.” He cast a quick glance at Booster and thought the cold was doing dangerous things to his judgment. “I’m going to tell you something I really shouldn’t, but I think you deserve to hear it.”
Curious- and more than a little wary -Booster leaned in a bit. “Yeah?”
He really, really shouldn’t be saying this. “I actually met your future you before.”
Now Booster was confused- and still wary -about that. “You did?”
Rip could see the question burning in his eyes. “Yeah. I always thought you were a brave, intelligent man back then. You may not have that fame and fortune you’ve been gunning for when you were younger, but you did a lot of good for people and the world, taught a lot of great Time Masters. And believe me when I say I can see, right now, even when we first met, that very same man inside you.” Rip leaned his head back, smiling tiredly at Booster. “You’re going to do fine- you’re doing fine right now. You just need confidence and experience is all.”
Slowly, almost timidly, a smile touched Booster’s lips. “Thanks, Rip. It means a lot to hear that.”
Outside the sky was beginning to lighten and Rip closed his eyes and gave an ironic grin. “If I get in trouble with my dad for telling you that, I’m blaming you.”
“I’ll just tell him it’s your fault for jumping in icy water.” They lapsed into another long silence and Rip had to force his eyes open, trying to keep from falling asleep. They watched as the stars faded away. Finally Booster said, “You were raised to be a Time Master, right?”
“More or less.”
“How old were you when you were told you have to let people die because of history?”
“Young. Probably too young. Not entirely my dad’s fault. Sometimes you see terrible things without meaning to, especially when the time period is a tumultuous one.”
“So your dad took you along to violent time periods?” Booster snorted and gave a playful little grin. “What an ass.”
Rip couldn’t help chuckling. “Sometimes, maybe. But he also let me hang out with dinosaurs. Tell me that’s not awesome.”
“Maybe a little.”
“Just no satisfying some people.” Rip shoved himself creakily to his feet, bracing a hand against the wall as he waited until his body was capable to supporting himself again. The wind had finally died down and sun was starting to bounce off the ice and snow. “C’mon, let’s see if we can’t get our bearings.”
“Right, right. Skeets, stay close to Rip and keep him warm.”
“Yessir.”
Rip stepped into the sun, blinking against the light and watched as Booster flew into the air with a fond smile ghosting over his lips. His father was going to be just fine, Rip would make sure of that.
Fandom: DCU
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1591
Characters: Rip, Booster, a bit of Skeets
Summary: An almost father-son moment.
Rip didn’t remember what he was dreaming about- he didn’t even remember falling asleep -but he slowly, blearily was aware of his father’s back, warm and strong, under his cheek. The only other thing he knew was that he was cold and wet, so he tucked his arms against his chest and pressed his face between his father’s shoulder blades with a little ‘mph’.
“Rip?” His father sounded oddly small and far away. “Rip, are you awake?”
“Mmm.”
“C’mon,” a shoulder jiggled under his head and the back suddenly didn’t feel as big as Rip remembered it being, “wake up.”
“Nngh.”
“Rip, wake up. You need to wake up. I can’t keep carrying you.”
Get up. He needed to get up. His father had something important to show him. Rip tilted his head to one side, butting up against the back of his father’s neck. “Dad?”
“Man, I hope not.”
Rip pried open his eyes, then squeezed them shut as blisteringly cold air stung them. He tried again, eyes watering as he did.. A golden bubble surrounded them, buffeted by wind and snow. Beyond that there was nothing but white and dark- the sheer emptiness of a faceless, glacial landscape. It all hit Rip at once and he looked down at the person carrying him.
“Booster,” he winced to himself, “what happened?”
“The ice broke under our feet and you fell in some water.” Booster’s breath hung around them, thick and sweeping past their shoulders. Rip could feel him shivering, even in the protective confines of his costume. “You’ve been unconscious for about ten minutes now. I was starting to get worried.”
“I’m fine.” Rip tugged at his leg until Booster let go, carefully letting Rip slid onto his feet. He faltered for a moment, but Booster was right there, slinging an arm across Rip’s back. Rip was having a hard time shivering- that wasn’t good. “We need to get some shelter.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to find us,” Booster said with a flat tone from the back of his throat- a good indicator that he was annoyed with Rip stating the obvious as if he didn’t think Booster could figure it out on his own. “But it’s hard to see anything and I’m not sending Skeets out to get tossed around in the wind.”
“Where is Skeets?”
“Right here, Dr. Hunter,” the little robot said, floating down to shoulder level. “I’m afraid the snow has reduced my scanners drastically.”
Rip’s brow furrowed, rubbing at his chest, trying to generate some heat. “So you’ve been wandering aimlessly?”
Booster snorted and his annoyance grew. “Surprisingly- no. Skeets detected a rock face. If we can’t find a cave there, I’m going to blast a hole in it for us to get in while we wait for the wind to let up, day to come or we think of a better idea.”
“Alright,” Rip said, trudging along with no minor difficulty. “Let’s keep going, then.”
~*~*~*~
It took the better part of an hour for them to reach the rock, even when the wind eased up enough for Booster to fly himself and Rip part of the way. It took almost twenty more minutes for Booster to make a hole big enough for the three of them, blaster settings low to keep from causing an avalanche.
The two men settled in the small space, Skeets at their feet and radiating heat. The confines of the cave kept the heat trapped much better than Booster’s forcefield had. Rip was practically convulsing with shivers, but it was better than the opposite. Rip would probably be able to think of a way to get them out of there when he could feel all his extremities again.
“So,” Booster said after a long stretch of silence between them, “what’s your father like?”
Rip gave him a sideways look. “What?”
“Your dad. I mean- if you mistake me for him, he must be incredibly handsome and talented, right?” Booster tried to give one of his over-the-top, megawatt smiles but fatigue and the cold sapped the effort right out.
“Why do you want to know?”
Rip was expecting an excuse like ‘I’m bored’ or ‘Just something to pass the time’. Instead he got, “You know what mine’s like. I just... I like hearing about people’s dads. Ted thought because mine was so crappy, I try to relive my childhood vicariously through other people’s. But Ted had a pretty crappy father, too, and he never asked about people’s parents so...” Booster hunched forward over his knees, flicking at a bit of rock and sending it clattering to the cave opening. It was obvious through his posture that Booster didn’t expect Rip to answer, but...
Well, Rip could always just blame it on hypothermia. “My dad means the world to me.” From the corner of his eye, Rip could see Booster turn to look at him. “He taught me everything he knew and what he didn’t, he made sure I learned from the best people he could find. He had a crappy childhood, too, but he wasn’t ashamed to talk about it. But he was determined that I’d never have to deal with what he did.”
Rip clenched and unclenched his fists, his fingers starting to tingle and burn. “He wasn’t always there for me, but he always was when he could be and when I really needed him. He’s not the best father, sometimes he pushed a little too hard, got me doing things I wasn’t really ready to do, but he tried for me. He wanted to be the best father he could be and he was. I love him dearly and I wouldn’t trade a second spent with him for anyone.”
Booster’s chin dropped to his knees, staring into nothing. “Must be nice having a dad like that. You said your dad taught you, right? Does that mean he was a Time Master, too?”
“Still is. Probably the best.”
“Guess you’re really slumming it, then.” Booster gave a laugh that sounded more bitter than he probably intended. “You were taught by the best and now you’re stuck with me.”
Rip let out a long, quiet breath. “You’re not bad at this, Booster. It’s an extremely difficult job and you’re still learning- and you’ll honestly never stop learning. No mission is like any other, they’re all just building blocks so you can figure out what to do a little bit quicker, so you make less mistakes, but there’s never any real template to how you do these. I was basically raised into this job and I’m still learning as I go, too. I just have more experience so I make less mistakes is all.” He cast a quick glance at Booster and thought the cold was doing dangerous things to his judgment. “I’m going to tell you something I really shouldn’t, but I think you deserve to hear it.”
Curious- and more than a little wary -Booster leaned in a bit. “Yeah?”
He really, really shouldn’t be saying this. “I actually met your future you before.”
Now Booster was confused- and still wary -about that. “You did?”
Rip could see the question burning in his eyes. “Yeah. I always thought you were a brave, intelligent man back then. You may not have that fame and fortune you’ve been gunning for when you were younger, but you did a lot of good for people and the world, taught a lot of great Time Masters. And believe me when I say I can see, right now, even when we first met, that very same man inside you.” Rip leaned his head back, smiling tiredly at Booster. “You’re going to do fine- you’re doing fine right now. You just need confidence and experience is all.”
Slowly, almost timidly, a smile touched Booster’s lips. “Thanks, Rip. It means a lot to hear that.”
Outside the sky was beginning to lighten and Rip closed his eyes and gave an ironic grin. “If I get in trouble with my dad for telling you that, I’m blaming you.”
“I’ll just tell him it’s your fault for jumping in icy water.” They lapsed into another long silence and Rip had to force his eyes open, trying to keep from falling asleep. They watched as the stars faded away. Finally Booster said, “You were raised to be a Time Master, right?”
“More or less.”
“How old were you when you were told you have to let people die because of history?”
“Young. Probably too young. Not entirely my dad’s fault. Sometimes you see terrible things without meaning to, especially when the time period is a tumultuous one.”
“So your dad took you along to violent time periods?” Booster snorted and gave a playful little grin. “What an ass.”
Rip couldn’t help chuckling. “Sometimes, maybe. But he also let me hang out with dinosaurs. Tell me that’s not awesome.”
“Maybe a little.”
“Just no satisfying some people.” Rip shoved himself creakily to his feet, bracing a hand against the wall as he waited until his body was capable to supporting himself again. The wind had finally died down and sun was starting to bounce off the ice and snow. “C’mon, let’s see if we can’t get our bearings.”
“Right, right. Skeets, stay close to Rip and keep him warm.”
“Yessir.”
Rip stepped into the sun, blinking against the light and watched as Booster flew into the air with a fond smile ghosting over his lips. His father was going to be just fine, Rip would make sure of that.
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no subject
Date: 2010-08-31 03:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-31 03:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-31 09:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-31 11:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-01 02:02 am (UTC)Oh, Booster. Oh, Rip. Oh, Booster. Never stop trying, you sweet fellow. /sniff
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Date: 2010-09-01 08:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-06 06:27 pm (UTC)