sixwordstories | (no subject)

[Danny looks at the guy for a second, then digs into a pocket and pulls out a packet of plain M&Ms. He'd been looking forward to the treat since purchasing it in the vending machine this morning, but...]

I find chocolate usually improves a bad situation? [He holds the candy out in offering.]

[Kabal pulled himself to his feet with a groan.]

Yeah? We'll see about that. Thanks, man.

[He takes the bag, but is sure to only pour a handful into his own gloved hand before offering the bag back. He was not about to snipe an entire bag of candy.]

[Oh hey, this guy is more polite than the new guy in the white collar crime division. Imagine that. Danny accepts the candy back, and pours a few pieces into his own hand.]

I can't guarantee that it'll cure all ills, but... I find a reminder -- no matter how small -- that not everything in the world sucks in stereo can help.

[Danny pops the candy into his mouth, chews quickly, and swallows.] If you wanna talk about it, I'm not a psych but I'm willing to listen.

[Kabal used his newly free hand to unhook the lower part of his mask and lift it up momentarily to toss a few of the candies into his mouth. Danny would probably see a glance of burn scarred skin before the mask was pulled back into place.]

Yeah? You believe in like...alternate timelines and stuff?

[Danny notices the burn scars, but he won't say anything about it just yet. He's known a lot of people with noticeable scars and most of them don't like attention called to that.]

[Danny gives a little laugh.] Alternate universes, Hypertime, time travel... I've seen a lot of strange things, and read reports on a lot more. I'm pretty likely to believe you, man.

Oh, Thank God. That’s gonna make unloading this a lot easier.

[He repeated the action he had previously and polished off those little chocolates before clearing his throat and continuing.]

So…the Thunder God told me to my face that in other timelines I am a hero…and like yeah okay, whatever. But…but then I meet the tragic son of a bitch and he’s an undead slave. That sucks. And another me? He was a god for awhile but got bored and traded it in to be a DILF in a mansion with a wife and kids.

Another me is a young idiot who believes someone he knows to be a liar too much.

And then there’s me who is just…

[Kabal gestured up and down his form.]

None of that.

[Danny nods thoughtfully as the masked man explains his alternates. A tragic hero, a former god, a past self... and then himself. Possibly a villain, but folks in superhero circles slap the same label Danny's old friend while they tolerate team-ups with worse criminals, so...]

One of the worst things about coming face-to-face with an alternate self is that you recognize bits of yourself in who and what they are, but you don't really know how they got there.

Or... [Danny sighs,] you might know, but then it's like... that's the huge change that made me different? And it's... a lot. Too much, maybe.

Or am I totally off-base here?

Yeah! Yeah, man! It is so weird because you can see little bits and pieces of yourself reflected back. Like, damn...that could be me, but it isn't.

You're kind of right on the money. You a shrink or something? You're really good at this.

[Danny laughs briefly at the question, if he's a shrink. He shakes his head, and says,] No, I'm not trained like that. But I guess I've been to so many psychiatrists recently that I've picked up some knowledge.

That, and... I've seen a few possibilities for myself. "Undead slave" hits close to home, let's say.

[He smiles wryly and shrugs.] The things we do for the greater good, huh?

Looks like it is rubbing off on you.

It is a big yikes, isn't it? The undead slave thing? God, that poor bastard. He just gets yanked around between masters and I can't help but be like...is he aware...does he know? Is he just trapped in there while he gets puppeted around?

[Kabal shakes his head in dismay and sighs.]

The things we do for the greater good.

[Danny's voice goes a little distant, and his eyes are fixed on the middle distance like he was remembering something and not actually looking at Kabal.] Being the Phantasm... the worst part was the awareness. Trapped with the dead, used for my powers... and no one else seemed to notice. They knew I was there, but they didn't care.

[[OOC: Oh hey there dissociation! This happens sometimes... Danny is a little disconnected from what's currently happening, because the memories he's thinking of are quite overwhelming. Continue to talk to him, and he'll come out of it.]]

[Kabal has seen this sort of thing before. The guy is looking right through him at something he can't see. Hell, he's even caught himself spacing out sometimes.]

Well, that sucks. Now I feel even worse for possible future me. That poor bastard. How did you get out of that?

There was no way out... had to depend on the mercy of others. [Danny shakes his head again, more sharply. His eyes actually focus on Kabal.] My parents called in lots of favors to pull me out.

Sorry, I... it wasn't a good time. Sorry.

Hey, don't be sorry. It isn't your fault the universe flipped you the bird that one time. It sounds like it was fucking awful.

[Danny tries to smile, but the expression isn't quite convincing.] The universe seems to like flipping everyone the bird once or twice.

So, this Thunder God... why did he tell you that you're a hero in other timelines? Does he want you to be a hero in this one?

It sure does.

He wanted me to "come to the light" and be a hero just like that other Kabal. I told him I just care about the here and now. That other guy ain't me.

[He paused a moment before continuing.]

But it was scary how it could be...and I'm not. It is weird how we ended up so similar but one died some big damn hero and I'm just over here looking out for number one because gods know the universe sure isn't going to do that.

You probably would be an asset to the good guys. If nothing else, you'd be replacing a fallen comrade that they've come to depend on. You might have his face, his skills, his powers... but you are your own person.

[There was something hollow and so, so tired in Danny's eyes as he said,] Being a hero will take everything from you, if you're not careful. And unless you understand that, unless you're okay with that... you shouldn't be pressured into the choice.

See? See that is what I am fucking talking about. I wanna be greedy and selfish and think about me! I’m not a god, as far as I can tell, I only have one shot at this and I wanna make enough money to have a mansion! A mansion with a wife and kids and a cute little dog!

If I end up some..Revenant…what I actually want will never happen so I am just gonna be a selfish asshole.

[Danny nods.] Speaking as someone who used to be on a team of heroes... recruiting an enemy to work with the team never really works out. If they're only working with you for as long as your goals align, then what happens when your goals... un-align? In my experience -- betrayal, stabbings, abandonment.

So I never really trust when a villain says he'll work with the heroes.

Uh... no offense meant.

None taken. I don't make any secret that I look out for number one first.

So you used to be on a team? What made you quit?

Mostly the near-death experience.

[Danny sighs, and rubs the back of his neck.] When I was... brought back from the Phantasm gestalt, by the C.B.I., I agreed to act as their agent. As a way to work off the debt.

So I'm with the Bureau until I'm forty, at least. No time for superhero teams now.

Yeah, that'll do it for sure.

So you got a desk job? Or at least a field job that you know, doesn't involve possession?

My skills would be wasted at a desk job. [Danny rolls his eyes and admits,] Not that it stops them from giving me plenty of paperwork to fill out anyway...

But, yeah. I'm a field agent. Sometimes I support our intelligence-gathering efforts, but... a lot of the times I'm tasked with neutralizing threats. Ghosts and demons are above my paygrade, though.

[Danny frowns thoughtfully.] What is it that you do, anyway?

Edited 2022-07-04 13:05 (UTC)

Nothing like the open air to get your blood flowing, right? Nothing beats being out of office. Ghosts and demons are a pain in the ass. Count yourself lucky they are out of your pay grade. Hell, if I know there's any of that shit it is gonna make the cost go up astronomically.

Me? I'm in the business of...acquiring rare objects for people who are willing to pay the right price.

[Well now, that's a real nice way of saying he is a mercenary.]

As long as it's rare object and not trafficking people, I'm willing to look the other way. We've been having such a civil conversation so far.

[Danny smiles wryly,] Dealing with gods, the undead, ghosts, and demons... if I didn't know better, I'd think you were one of the superheroes... or supervillains, from my world.

Definitely not a people person in that way. We work exclusively in the smuggling of nonliving things, though I have done a few bodyguard jobs as a side hustle, but that's different. Anyway, I appreciate you looking the other way.

Hey, not matter where you're from we have more in common than we have differences as far as I can tell.