LOGLET: Haroun and Brainiac and Alison

[x-jetstream.livejournal.com]

Haroun's sitting in his darkened hotel room, waiting for the shower to free up. He has a little visit from an old friend - in a manner of speaking.



Haroun stared at the flickering flame on the table in front of him. He had turned all the lights off, finding the artificial light to be overly-harsh and cold. The flame flickered and danced, sending crazy shadows dancing across the tabletop and against his cold, clammy flesh.

He let his vision unfocus as the full force of his fatigue ripped through him. He sagged in his chair, the flame prismed through the tears of fatigue and loss causing little rainbows to appear over everything.

"You are, m'man, one pathetic sack of shit, you know that?" said a very familiar voice. "Come on, Harry, you've got a whole life in front of you! There's a gorgeous blonde in the shower over there, who came and got your worthless plastic butt to bring you back _home_. Let us go, man. Live!"

Haroun slumped even deeper. "Fuck off, Brainy." he said softly. "It's not like that and you know it."

"Sure." said Brainiac sarcastically. "That's just _gotta_ be it! You can't lie to me, man. You're just scared shitless, and you're hiding behind us."

"The Hell I am!" said Haroun tiredly. "I'm arguing with my own delusions. Next stop, the Comfy Chair!"

"Yeah, maybe, but you don't get the Fluffy Pillows." Brainiac shot back. "And let's take a look at this logically, shall we? Item A is one Alison Blaire, bubblegum pop princess, who seems to think that you're The One For Her. Don't argue with me, I'm dead and the dead see all, know all." the voice smirked. "Item B. Yeah, what happened to us really sucks. Given the choice, I'd rather be up there in Westchester with you, and not here in the ground. But it's happened, and there's no going back. You can't bring us back. Nobody can. We've forgiven you - it's time for you to do the same."

"I can't." sobbed Haroun. "I just can't."

"Yes, you can. Knock off the woe-is-me self-pitying _crap_. It's bullshit and you know it." ordered Brainiac. "Yeah, I know you've been through some hard times. Yeah, I know you got the whole half-man half-machine thing going, and you're scared to death that you've blown your shot at Heaven because of it. Guess what? You haven't. I can't prove it to you, but I've seen Heaven. I'm there now. My Heaven, not yours, but it's all good, Harry. It's all good. We're all up here, man, and when your day comes we'll all get together and shoot the
shit. Just like old times, dude! You remember, right? You and me and all the rest, sittin' around the Hellion Central, checking out Anna's ass and giving poor little Davie wedgies?"

Haroun couldn't help but laugh at that. "Yeah man. And there's Connie being her usual megabitch self, knowing damned well she's just impossibly gorgeous and that she could get any of us that she wanted. Fucking bitch."

"Yeah, I remember." laughed Brainy. "Guess what? She's right here, man, and she wants me to tell you she's sorry. She was a cruel bitch to you, but karma's real harsh that way, don't you think?"

Haroun shook his head. "If I had been there..."

"Then you'd be just as dead as we are now." countered Brainiac. "Come on, man, they took _Mike_ down. You remember Mike, right? Quiet kid, seven and a half feet tall, hide that laughed off .44s at point-blank range? What chance do you think you would have had? None. More of a chance than I had, that's for damned sure. Now get off the pity-parade and start _living_ _your_ _life_. You're the last Hellion. Make us proud!"

Haroun smiled thinly. "It's not that I don't appreciate the pep-talk, rally, but..."

"But what?" asked Brainiac, cutting Haroun off. "But you're not even a real man? Not brave enough? Not good enough? Man, you really _are_ stupid sometimes. You got it all, man. The life, the Cause, the faith ... hell, you even wound up with the girl, you bastard. What more do you want?"

"I ... I don't know." he said helplessly. "I'm ... scared."

"Now we're getting somewhere." muttered Brainy. "Yeah, you know what? Real life is scary. Don't let it get away from you because you were too scared to reach out and take it. Remember what we said that one time? Reach out, take life by the throat and make it give us what we want?"

"Man, that was Conan!" smiled Haroun.

"Yeah, well, even big dumb Cimmerians get it right sometimes. Just no so much with the driivng of your enemies before you and all that. Trust me on that one." said Brainiac with a laugh. "But honestly, Haroun. You've got a lot to live for. Time to get with the program. We'll be waiting for you when your ticket gets punched. Count on it."

Just then, the bathroom door opened. "Haroun?" said Alison, a towel wrapped around her head and another around her torso. "Who were you talking to?"

"Just an old friend." he said, rubbing at his eyes to clear them of sleep and tears. "Just an old friend. Is the shower free?"