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ajremixTitle: Five Seconds to Eternity
Fandom: DCU
Rating: PG
Word Count: 575
Characters: Ted mainly, bit parts with Wonder Woman, Captain Atom, Wally and Booster
In Response to: 30 days of Boostle - anxiety
Summary: From Justice League International v2 66, the end of the Overmaster arc. The worst five seconds of Ted's life.
Ted is having a minor freak out. He's actually been having a series of progressively less minor freak outs since Vandal Savage prophesied the end of humanity to Overmaster landing and Booster coming back torn apart and almost bled out and everything inside Ted broke when every machine pronounced Booster dead and the doctors had given up on him. He couldn't think, couldn't feel, could only taste his broken heart in his throat like bile. Then Booster walked out, for all intents and purposes alive, and Ted started the minor freak outs all over again. Not because Booster was essentially a zombie, but because there was a chance and Ted could barely remember what he was thinking as he rebuilt Booster's armor except 'please work, please work'.
In the longest five seconds of Ted's life he has to wait to see which way his freak out will break this time. It's the blindest leap of faith Ted ever took in fate and in himself. It may as well be his own life on the line because if he failed... Ted doesn't know what's left for him.
Five seconds. The life support registers all of Booster's vitals flat lining.
Diana's hand trembles from exhaustion and pain, adrenaline rushing out and fear of losing another comrade rushing in. In that moment she's not a goddess, just a woman who cares too much as she searches for Booster's pulse. "He's... he's gone."
Four seconds. Life support comes online.
"No miracles this time," and Nathan isn't angry or bitter. His emotions are spent and he's forced to acknowledge his helplessness this time. There's nothing he or anyone else can do, no one for him to fight as he watches another teammate slip away.
Three seconds. Power diverts from other parts of the armor to the life support.
Wally still has enough anger for the both of them- for losing everyone in Central City, for feeling like an inconsequential piece in someone's maddening game. "What's wrong with you, Beetle? Why are you just standing there?"
Two seconds. Components powers up slowly because it's coming from a battery and it may not be enough.
"You were supposed to be his friend!" He's angry at Ted because he doesn't have anyone else to be angry at. Because he doesn't know why Ted isn't hurting as much as he is. "Don't you feel anything?!"
One second. Resuscitation protocols activate.
"I'm about to," Ted barely registers the fact he's speaking- voiceless words that are more after thought than anything else, "but I won't know what until..."
Zero. Booster gasps.
His eyes open, unfocused but still picking out Ted above him. Booster's brow knots in confusion and his voice is ragged and weak. "Buh... Beetle?"
Ted falls to his knees and he's crying again but it doesn't matter because Booster's alive! They're all alive and he grabs Booster tight as he laughs and cries, kissing him in exalted relief. There's the taste of copper on Booster's lips- a bit of blood must've gotten back into his lungs but the life support is giving no warnings so it should be a simple thing to fix. Everything is simple because Booster is still with him and Ted can't stop touching him, can't stop looking at that tired, bemused smile on his best friend's face as he says over and over again, "You're okay, you're okay, you're gonna live, we're all okay."
Everything was going to be okay.
Fandom: DCU
Rating: PG
Word Count: 575
Characters: Ted mainly, bit parts with Wonder Woman, Captain Atom, Wally and Booster
In Response to: 30 days of Boostle - anxiety
Summary: From Justice League International v2 66, the end of the Overmaster arc. The worst five seconds of Ted's life.
Ted is having a minor freak out. He's actually been having a series of progressively less minor freak outs since Vandal Savage prophesied the end of humanity to Overmaster landing and Booster coming back torn apart and almost bled out and everything inside Ted broke when every machine pronounced Booster dead and the doctors had given up on him. He couldn't think, couldn't feel, could only taste his broken heart in his throat like bile. Then Booster walked out, for all intents and purposes alive, and Ted started the minor freak outs all over again. Not because Booster was essentially a zombie, but because there was a chance and Ted could barely remember what he was thinking as he rebuilt Booster's armor except 'please work, please work'.
In the longest five seconds of Ted's life he has to wait to see which way his freak out will break this time. It's the blindest leap of faith Ted ever took in fate and in himself. It may as well be his own life on the line because if he failed... Ted doesn't know what's left for him.
Five seconds. The life support registers all of Booster's vitals flat lining.
Diana's hand trembles from exhaustion and pain, adrenaline rushing out and fear of losing another comrade rushing in. In that moment she's not a goddess, just a woman who cares too much as she searches for Booster's pulse. "He's... he's gone."
Four seconds. Life support comes online.
"No miracles this time," and Nathan isn't angry or bitter. His emotions are spent and he's forced to acknowledge his helplessness this time. There's nothing he or anyone else can do, no one for him to fight as he watches another teammate slip away.
Three seconds. Power diverts from other parts of the armor to the life support.
Wally still has enough anger for the both of them- for losing everyone in Central City, for feeling like an inconsequential piece in someone's maddening game. "What's wrong with you, Beetle? Why are you just standing there?"
Two seconds. Components powers up slowly because it's coming from a battery and it may not be enough.
"You were supposed to be his friend!" He's angry at Ted because he doesn't have anyone else to be angry at. Because he doesn't know why Ted isn't hurting as much as he is. "Don't you feel anything?!"
One second. Resuscitation protocols activate.
"I'm about to," Ted barely registers the fact he's speaking- voiceless words that are more after thought than anything else, "but I won't know what until..."
Zero. Booster gasps.
His eyes open, unfocused but still picking out Ted above him. Booster's brow knots in confusion and his voice is ragged and weak. "Buh... Beetle?"
Ted falls to his knees and he's crying again but it doesn't matter because Booster's alive! They're all alive and he grabs Booster tight as he laughs and cries, kissing him in exalted relief. There's the taste of copper on Booster's lips- a bit of blood must've gotten back into his lungs but the life support is giving no warnings so it should be a simple thing to fix. Everything is simple because Booster is still with him and Ted can't stop touching him, can't stop looking at that tired, bemused smile on his best friend's face as he says over and over again, "You're okay, you're okay, you're gonna live, we're all okay."
Everything was going to be okay.
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no subject
Date: 2010-11-23 07:25 pm (UTC)aww.... I always hated that part... the beginning of the end of the JLI
no subject
Date: 2010-11-23 08:01 pm (UTC)I love your descriptions, made me feel totally with ted although I was sure that the armor life support would kick in, just that I suddenly wasn't that sure after all anymore...
<3
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Date: 2010-11-24 01:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-24 03:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-24 04:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-24 05:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-03 05:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-03 06:35 am (UTC)