Like 31st Century Fanfic Really... [open]

[brainy-bot.livejournal.com]

A battle raged above a barren world, the odds against the two heroes fighting side-by-side in the thick of it all, but they both refused to give up; there was simply too much at stake for that.

"Keep fighting, we’re winning!" One hero declared. He looked a little like an older version of Kon-El, but with some slightly different facial features and a different costume.

Brainy turned to say something in return, but his eyes focussed instead on the cannon levelled at Superman’s back and primed to fire.

"Look out!" But he could see that the warning wasn’t going to be enough, so threw himself desperately forward, managing to shove Superman clear as the weapon fired and hit him full force, ripping open his side and exposing the circuitry within. As he spiralled out of control and fell to the lifeless rock below, he could only watch as Superman quickly finished off the last of the enemy’s forces and rushed to his side.

"Hold still! You’re going to be fine," Superman insisted, clutching the Coluan boy’s hand tightly. It felt real and warm to Brainy’s sensors, and he gasped weakly, playing up his injuries.

"No Superman, I’m too—" a break for another gasped breath "—it’s too... late for me..."

"Don’t say that! I won’t leave you here!"

"You have to! I can’t go—" GASP. And a weak, pathetic cough. "—You have to save the... universe... Please..."

Superman’s eyes began to tear up. "I’ll never forget your sacrifice, Brainy," he said. "No matter what happens, you’ll always be a hero in my mind."

"Super—" Brainy tried to say, but he coughed again and, with a final sigh, went limp in the hero’s arms as the music swelled to a crescendo and—

Someone was in the room with him. The moment he realised, Brainiac 5 sat up and snapped out an order – "Stacy, end simulation" – mentally cursing that he hadn’t picked up on the intrusion sooner. Trying to act like he hadn’t just been involved in that simulation, he picked himself up off the ground and turned to face the new arrival.

[[if you’re curious, this is all completely canon, so feel free to wander in and comment as you see fit!]]

Comments

[supertshirt.livejournal.com]

Kon is on the floor. Shaking. Practically convulsing. He looks like a drunk going through the DTs, he's shaking so bad. It huuuurts. Oh God it huuurts.

This is from the laughter he's holding in.

Finally, he manages to gasp out, in a keening teenage girl kinda voice, "'Superman, you're my heeeeeeerooooo!'"

[brainy-bot.livejournal.com]

Brainy was really starting to feel grateful that he hadn't seen the point in trying to emulate things like blushing. It made situations like this so much easier.

"T-that's not what was happening!" he snapped, his voice a fraction higher than it should have been. He cleared his throat in annoyance and continued in a more normal tone. "I was simply engaging in some training exercises. That's all."

[supertshirt.livejournal.com]

"You were engaging in wanting to be engaged to Superman, you mean." Can't stop. He can't stop laughing. Oh God.

[brainy-bot.livejournal.com]

"That's not true! Superman and I are just friends. That's all." He folded his arms and glared down at Kon. "It was a training exercise. In case Superman turns up here as well and we have to work together."

[supertshirt.livejournal.com]

"'Superman, the way your cape billows is just so--'" A dreamy sigh. "'--dreamy. Hold me in your big, strong manful arms!'"

[halfa-hero.livejournal.com]

Danny bursts out laughing.

"Ohgod, can't, breathe."

[brainy-bot.livejournal.com]

"It was a training simulation!" he said defensively. And maybe a little too quickly. It's a touchy subject.

[halfa-hero.livejournal.com]

"Dude, training simulations do not have dramatic soundtracks."

[brainy-bot.livejournal.com]

"They could! Other Legionnaires would sometimes play music over their space battles." It sort of worked as an excuse at any rate.

[halfa-hero.livejournal.com]

"And that whole bit at the end there? Is this training to make schmaltzy speeches?"

[cabbage-butt.livejournal.com]

"I have to admit, fantasy never seemed an appealing method to deal with my own deep-seated emotional issues."

Oddly, he's not laughing, just...curious. His expression is somewhat bemused, but mostly, he just looks curious.

[brainy-bot.livejournal.com]

As if the interruptions couldn't get any worse...

"It's a training simulation," he insisted. "And what do you mean 'deep-seated emotional issues'?!"

[cabbage-butt.livejournal.com]

"I don't presume to know more than the average educated psychoanalyst and of course the social sciences aren't really sciences, but this is not a standard simulation," Brainy says. "It's wish fulfillment. And wish fulfillment fantasies tend to be engaged in to fulfill some sort of emotional need that's gone unattended."

[brainy-bot.livejournal.com]

"It's a training simulation in case Superman happens to arrive here and we are required to work together, nothing more." But he didn't feel quite as confident with that explanation as he usually did, since it was harder to pull the 'I'm so much smarter than you, you couldn't hope to follow my logic' with someone who was your counterpart from an alternate universe.

[cabbage-butt.livejournal.com]

"Doubtful." His expression quirks. "You do remember who you're talking to, don't you?"

Brainy thinks. "If it was purely unrequited romantic interest, I presume the program would have simulated more romantic conditions."

Oh god...I love this. So very, very much. Brainy and his holo-fics.

[thethirdhalfa.livejournal.com]

This time, there wasn't any mocking or laughing during the interruption.

Dani just looked at Brainiac 5 in confusion. "That seemed kind of dramatic for saying you lost the round. Especially to a hologram," she said.

I think you mean 'training simulations' :| ...XD And I'm glad you like it!

[brainy-bot.livejournal.com]

Brainiac 5 stared at Dani in obvious confusion. "What? I didn't lose the roun--"

Then he remembered it was supposed to be a training simulation, nothing more.

"I mean! Yes. I lost the round. But I felt it would be more realistic if I reacted as I would in reality."

Suuuuure, training simulations. =D

[thethirdhalfa.livejournal.com]

"You'd act like that? Wow!" Dani said, looking surprised. "It's even more dramatic than what I said."

You never know, he might have to die in Superman's arms for real someday :[

[brainy-bot.livejournal.com]

"Well, maybe not..." He blinked and shot a curious look at Dani. "What do you mean, 'what you said'? You've done something like this before?"

He wondered if it was better or worse if the only other person he knew who made holosims like this was a young girl.

....that would be incredibly sad. D=

[thethirdhalfa.livejournal.com]

"What? Died? Yeah, I melted in front of Danny," Dani said. Sorry Brainy, but it's still just you.

Dani paused a moment. "...I got better." Well, she wasn't melted now, so she definitely got better.

[hatngartersnake.livejournal.com]

Jeka was already backing out the door when Brainy ended the simulation.

"No, carry on," she said. "I was never here."

Grife, how awkward!

[brainy-bot.livejournal.com]

If only he could have heard Jeka's thoughts, Brainy would have no doubt agreed. As it was, he was once again vaguely relieved that he was incapable of blushing, since he'd no doubt be beet red otherwise.

"It's a training simulation," he said automatically, shifting uncomfortably. "That's all."

[hatngartersnake.livejournal.com]

"Of course it is," Jeka said, flapping a hand at him. "No need to explain, I understand completely."

So very, very awkward. She was definitely going to start knocking more often.

"There's nothing wrong with it, so long as it makes you happy."

[brainy-bot.livejournal.com]

He probably should have just let Jeka think whatever she liked, so long as she let him get back to his simulation, but considering how many interruptions he'd had already and her tone, he couldn't help but get defensive about it.

"Superman and I are just friends," he said quickly. "It's not like what everyone seems to think."

[hatngartersnake.livejournal.com]

...Well then.

"My apologies," Jeka said smoothly, inclining her head in his direction. "As I said, I'll leave you too it."

Perhaps "everyone" wouldn't think that if it didn't look like a scene from a dramatic romance holo, Brainy.