shatterverse | (no subject)

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Steph and Sokka left the farm early today, missing the dramas that are unfolding there tonight.

Currently, they're in Metropolis. Sokka is asleep in their "borrowed" apartment - or was, when Steph left, at approximately 2am. Now she is, of course, standing on top of a building, cape billowing, and frowning through her mask at the skyline.

(She totally left Sokka a note, though. It said: I couldn't sleep, so I went out for a walk and to grab some air. Love you. Back soon! Because that won't make him suspicious at all.)

There's someone she wants to see. She's just not sure if it's a good idea.

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He reaches into one of his pouches and slips out one of those lovely little mp3/video players. A couple of quick touches, and he passes it over to her.

"Just hit play. Bruces secret artificial intelligence and anti metahuman program broadcast the video to the entire world."

Steph hits play, after a questioning glance, and watches silently as one of the foundational truths of her world is shattered in front of her eyes.

She hands it back without comment; but her face is paler than before even in the pre-dawn dark, and she opens her mouth to speak a couple of times before shutting it again helplessly.

"Do you see? What do you do when a madman can control the most powerful man in the world, and he won't stop?"

Tim crosses his arms over his chest.

"You do what you have to Steph.

"Once you helped me rescue a man who was trying to chainsaw us both to death," Steph says quietly. "In the snow, when the sun was gone. Do you even remember that? You said everyone's life is as valuable as the next and we had no right to choose who lived or died."

"I was wrong."

A simple enough explanation.

"Different situations call for different answers Steph."

"Stop saying my name!"

Steph yanks her hood back up, getting to her feet, poised on top of the gargoyle for a moment.

"I can't - I can't listen to you any more. I'm going."

"Well then, Spoiler."

He watches her get up.

"You do what you feel you have to do."

Steph stares at him for a minute longer, visibly distressed even behind the mask.

"Stay away from Sokka," she says, angry now because nothing is any clearer and he's still made a frightening amount of sense. "I mean it."

"Always planned to. Sorry if I scared him, I was in a ... bad place." Tim shrugs it off. "Take care of yourself."

Privately, he's chalking this one up as a win for him.

It probably is. Steph isn't much relieved, but at least he doesn't sound actively threatening any more. He sounds ... sane.

It's scary.

She doesn't say goodbye, just looks at him a second longer and then jumps out into space, soaring downwards and away.

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