thesphererp | two | memory (two kids, you and me)

Night - that’s when you do your work in this stoplight-colors uniform, eyes and identity concealed behind a red domino mask. You’re out patrolling on your own tonight, and the sounds of an altercation ring out from the darkened alley below, sounds you find all too familiar. Three well-muscled men - thugs - have a fourth man cornered on the ground; he’s younger, unruly red hair tied back with a white bandanna, either too drunk or too apathetic to fight back as the other three take turns kicking him down over and over again.

“... Call yourself a superhero? You dirty lowlife drunk …” one says, showing the bottom of his boot to the side of the redhead’s face. This is your cue to jump in. You call out from the rooftop above with a easy-going tone that manages to still mean business.

“That, coming from a guy wanted for assault in three different counties?” The thug looks up in surprise, trying to discern who’s speaking, and you work quickly, hurling a bat-shaped boomerang at his head, knocking him out and to the ground. The second man you take out with a five-ball bola thrown and wrapped around his neck as you leap to the ground, not missing a beat in your banter: “They really don’t make anonymous thugs like they used to, huh? Look how easy you break.” You land next to the last of the thugs and crack your elbow right into the side of his head, and he too slumps to the ground, unconscious.

You step forward out of the shadows toward the redhead kneeling on the pavement in bewilderment, a triumphant smile curving your mouth. “There. That’s better,” you say. “You’re Roy Harper, aren’t you?” (You know exactly who he is.) “I’m Robin. Version two, actually - although I bet you could figure that out on your own.”

“Why,” Roy asks, eyes turned up on you, “why are you helping me?”

“They took these from you back at the bar,” you say, holding out a bow and quiver of arrows for Roy to reclaim. “I thought you’d want them returned. My predecessor told me once that you were a good friend of his, before you fell off the wagon. I wanted to let you know I’m here if you ever need a friend.”

Roy takes his weapons and pulls himself to his feet, shaking his head. “I don’t need friends,” he protests, a slight slur blurring the edges of his words, “friends just let you down.” You smile knowingly, because you’ve said the same thing in the not-too-distant past.

“We all need friends, Roy.” You produce a grappling hook gun from your belt and aim it at the nearby rooftop. “You change your mind, just come find me.” You fire the gun and follow the wire up into the night, leaving Roy standing in the alley below.

“I’ll be waiting.”

audio; un: j.doe

[and not too long after that memory broadcasts, jason's voice follows, sharp and shaking with rage at the intrusion:]

Get. Out. Of my head. NOW.

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[Alex's frown is audible at that.]

You've lost all your memories, like full on amnesia before?

[She's leaving the comment about being through worse alone. For the moment.]

Wasn’t amnesia, not like you’re probably thinking. But yeah. It’s ... kind of a long story. Basically, I know a guy who can take memories right outta your head.

[For a moment Alex is speechless before she just replies with:]

Wow.

[But then compassion moves into her tone.]

It must have been terrible if you had someone remove your memories.

Yeah ... not one of the best periods of my life.

[the joker had attacked the entire batfam, played some grotesque mind games, fucked around with jason’s concept of his entire life, planted the seed that he’d masterminded everything that happened to jason - his father’s incarceration, his mother’s death, jason’s own murder. a very bad time indeed.]

But it’s fine. I got over it. Got my memories back, good as new.

At least that's something. Did having them removed help?

Not really.

[a little bit, at the time. jason arrived at the conclusion that he was not a bad person, just someone who’s made a lot of mistakes. but that was a while back, and the brainspiders that spawned over what happened in gotham before he was brought to the domes effectively erased all that. maybe he’d lost that thread even earlier, after trying and failing to help duela, the girl who called herself the joker’s daughter.]

My friends kept telling me stuff that I didn’t remember. It was frustrating as hell.

I can imagine. It would have driven me crazy if it was me.

[And there's a note of understand in her voice too, because while it wasn't as extreme as Jason's was by any stretch of the imagination, she had friends telling her that she'd done things that she didn't remember doing.

Even if honestly, she still wasn't at all convinced that she did.]

So if you don't mind my asking, what did help?

Would you believe me if I said it was the power of friendship?

[Alex chuckles, but it's not in a way that's unkind.]

Honestly? Yeah I would.

Right. ‘Cause you’re a believer.

[and that’s about as close to a smile that his tone has reached since he got on the network. but that’s an incomplete explanation, and he has a feeling alex is inclined to ask for more details anyway.]

At the time, I was working on a team with Roy and an alien princess by the name of Koriand’r. They weren’t just my teammates - they were my friends. They both chased me down, and they wouldn’t give up on me until I realized I was being an idiot and wanted my memories back. That’s all I had to do - just say that I wanted them. But if they hadn’t kept after me and kept telling me how they were my friends and I was one of the good guys, I’d probably still have no idea about who I was. Or I’d be dead.

[probably the latter, let’s be real. and as jason recounts this story, he realizes just how much he misses both of his friends.]

[if there’s one thing that Alex can almost always be trusted on to do it’s to ask for additional details so offering them first is normally a safe bet.]

They sound like awesome friends to have honestly.

They were. Are, I guess ... I dunno. They’re definitely too good to be wasting their time with me.

You know. [Alex's voice is gentle and kind, but a little firm.] In my experience, it's the people who think that other people are too good for them are the ones who are both most worthy of people like that and who need it the most.

[he laughs quietly.]

You should see some of the files various government agencies have on me.

Hey, I didn't say you were perfect. Just deserving of friends, Jason.

[does he though? jason has his doubts. thanks, shitty self-esteem.]

I dunno ... maybe. I’m just not very good at the whole friends thing. Or the family thing. I’m used to being on my own - I’ve got experience with that.

You sound like Richard.

[Her voice is soft, but kind before she adds:]

But it can be a very lonely place here if you don't have anyone, you know.

Yeah ... I know. But I’m used to it. I’ve been mostly on my own since I was a kid.

Mostly, though. You sound like you have had some great friends anyway.

Yeah ...

[better than he deserves, or so jason believes.]

I guess maybe I should try looking 'em up when I get outta here, huh?

Seems like you should. And also should try making some here.

[he chuckles quietly at the suggestion.]

Is there a newspaper around with a personal ads section? ‘Cause I haven’t seen any friend-finding apps around. That’s how people do that kinda thing now, right? The phone apps.

Or, I don't know, you can just talk to the nosy reporter who's trying to make friends with you.

Yeah, I guess I could do that. Would it be off the record?

Sure. I don't really do much on the record anymore.

[There's definitely a laugh in her voice when she says it.]

two | memory (two kids, you and me)

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