#and nate of course has to awkwardly explain that he's there for completely different reasons

[darkestsight]

Random Scene #8

(Don’t mind me. Just writing out my favourite scene of a fanfic I’m never actually going to write.)

“So,” Sara said, leaning forward, hands resting on the bridge’s central console, “we’ve got a decision to make.”

She looked around at the rest of the team. They were all gathered around the console and none of them looked happy.

Across from her, Rip folded his arms over his chest and gazed at the floor.

“We’ve got to decide,” Sara continued, “whether we’re going to help Booster or whether we’re going to leave him to deal with his own mess.”

The team exchanged glances.

Ray was the first to speak. “Look,” he said, “I know he’s been a bit of a pain and I know he’s caused a few problems since he turned up...”

“A few?” Jax interjected, sarcastically.

“But,” Ray continued, “Booster Gold is still a superhero. He’s one of us.”

Amaya looked unmoved. “Is he though? From what I saw, all he really fights for is fame and glory.”

“Not to mention money,” said Jax, scowling. “The guy’s arrogant, smug, self-centered...”

“In other words, a complete jackass,” said Mick with a smirk.

Nate grimaced. “Well, yeah,” he said, “but are we really going to leave him to die?”

There was a moment of silence as Nate’s statement sunk in.

“Are we prepared to die for him though?” Martin countered. “That may very well occur if we try to save him, and like Sara said, Booster’s the one who caused this whole debacle in the first place. He has no one to blame but himself.”

“Let the guy get out of his own mess,” Mick put in. “That’s what I say.”

As the team grew silent once more, Sara turned to the only member who had yet to voice an opinion. “Rip?”

Rip remained quiet, staring at the ground.

“Nothing to say?” Sara prompted. “I mean you’ve known the guy longer than any of us.”

Sighing, Rip finally looked up. “I’m afraid there really isn’t any choice,” he said. “We have to help him.”

The team stared at him in surprise.

“You want to help him?” Nate said in disbelief. “Seriously, you?”

Ray’s eyebrows knit together as he frowned. “No offense but I’m finding that a bit hard to believe considering the two of you have been fighting almost non-stop since he got here.”

“Yeah,” said Jax. “Weren’t you the one who went on a fifteen minute rant about him just a few hours ago?”

Rip made a face. “That may very well be, but unfortunately, the man is important to the timeline and therefore we must ensure he doesn’t die.”

“How is he important to the timeline?” asked Amaya, curiously.

“That does seem rather unlikely,” said Martin, “unless in the future the man actually becomes the hero he claims to be.”

Rip awkwardly cleared his throat. “In a sense,” he said, talking with his hands as he tended to do whenever he grew agitated. “He does become a better hero in future, though I can’t say there’s much improvement in terms of his personality, but that’s not the reason he’s important.”

Sara narrowed her eyes at him. She was developing a sixth sense for when Rip was holding things back and she was getting that feeling now. “So, why is he so important to the timeline then?”

Rip grimaced. “Actually,” he began, slowly and reluctantly, “it’s not the fact he’s important to the timeline so much as the fact he’s important to my timeline.”

The Legends gazed at him in confusion.

“What?” said Mick. “Poster Boy save your butt at some point?”

“Not exactly,” said Rip.

Tired of him beating around the bush, Sara crossed her arms over her chest and gave him her best glare. “Explain.”

Still unwilling to enlighten them, Rip stood there a moment silently wringing his hands, but under the weight of Sara’s glare, he finally gave in, shoulders slumping, arms falling down to his sides.

“Michael Carter,” he said. “His real name is Michael Carter.

“Yes,” Sara replied, nodding. “You told us that earlier. What does it have to do with anything?”

“It’s a stupid name,” Mick said with a snort.

Rip let out a bitter laugh. “Well, it’s a good thing I changed mine then.”

It took a moment but dawning realization slowly began to travel through the group.

“My God,” said Martin, eyes widening.

“No way,” said Ray.

“You can’t seriously be saying...” Jax began and shook his head in disbelief.

Nate and Amaya just looked confused.

Mick simply started laughing.

Sara caught on a second later. “Your name,” she said as she put the pieces together. “Your birth name. Michael...”

“...Carter junior,” Rip finished for her and let out a long, weary sigh.

Nate gazed at him, agog. “But he’s...” he stuttered, “and you’re so...”

Rip gave him a sour look and Nate quickly shut his mouth.

Mick was still laughing, bent over, hands over his stomach. “That’s perfect,” he said between gasps for air.

Rip rolled his eyes.

“So, presumably,” said Martin, gathering himself after the shock, “in Booster’s current timeline, you’ve yet to be conceived.”

Rip nodded. “Which is why if he’s at risk of dying, my timeline, and therefore all of yours as well, are in jeopardy.”

“He doesn’t know, does he?” said Jax, gazing at Rip with sympathy.

“Of course not,” Rip said, and then turning away, added, “I’m not sure if he even knew after the fact.”

“Wait,” said Sara, holding up a finger. “You said you were an orphan like all the Time Masters so does that mean...”

Grimacing, Rip waved a hand in the air. “It’s complicated,” he said. “My whole early life is complicated and there’s a lot I don’t even know. I barely remember my birth mother. I certainly don’t remember Booster ever being around. The only reason I know he’s my father is because we had to do a project using DNA profiling during our first year at the Time Master academy. We had to research our ancestors back five generations so we didn’t do something stupid like accidentally kill our own grandfather. I almost failed the project because some of my DNA was apparently from the wrong century.” Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and slowly let it out before he continued. “Look, I know Booster has been somewhat of an annoyance...”

“This seriously puts everything that’s happened recently in a different light,” said Ray, eyes turned inward as he went over everything that had happened since they’d met Booster.

“Yes, well,” said Rip, “due to us both being time travellers, mine and my father’s paths have crossed a few times, and frankly, we’ve never really gotten along.”

Having finally stopped laughing and regained his breath, Mick came over and clapped Rip on the back. “Trust me,” he said. “When it comes to shitty fathers, you’ve got nothing.”

Rip gazed at him with narrowed eyes, clearly unable to decide whether to be grateful or offended.

“But he’s still your dad,” Jax pointed out.

“Yes, he is.” Bowing his head, Rip let out another sigh. “Unfortunately.”

Silence fell over the bridge.

It was Amaya who broke it. “I suppose this means our decision’s been made.”

All gazes, including Rip’s, turned to Sara awaiting her verdict.

“I suppose it has.” Sara looked at Rip, meeting his eyes with a steady gaze. “Saddle up, team,” she said as her lips twisted into a wry smile. “Looks like it’s time to save Rip’s daddy.”