01- Video

[notyoursupergirl]

[ Give a teenager a video function and a captive audience and it's only so long before they abuse the privilege. ]

You know, this kind of transdimensional grab bag usually sets off a few alarm bells. Integrity of the space time continuum, multiples of the same person in the same space affecting Reality As We Know It, blah blah blah. This is pretty low key. Like hi, welcome to your new home, here's a really ugly uniform, a job and a room assignment. Don't mind the teenagers necking in your room, that's just a thing.

[ Who's bitter, not her. ]

One thing I do like? Crew roster. Nice, simple way to check to see if there's anyone familiar; archenemies, familiar code names, family members from different dimensions who might not know who you are, ex-boyfriends who need to get their teeth punched in... [ She was making a point here. ]

Some of you need to work on your code names, though. Like I get being part of a legacy, but we have like five different Snakes. Five. [ More like three, but she's not gonna let a silly thing like facts stop her. ] That's way too many snakes for this ship. Venom I get, it sounds like someone who probably runs around Gotham and changes their alignment every day of the week, but whatever, I guess if Catwoman can, you can too. Live the dream. The other two need to flip a coin or something.

Or, wild idea, but go with me on this: pick another animal, be your own hero and/or villain, break free of the legacy cycle! You know who never looks stressed out? Heroes who aren't part of a legacy.

Comments

[cardboard_boss]

Kaz and I agreed on Ahab for my name instead of Snake. Makes it easier for everyone then. Venom just didn't sound right for a real name. Code name perhaps though.

[Because there were at least four other people with the word Snake in their name.]

[notyoursupergirl]

Venom isn't a real name. Anyone who names their child "Venom" shouldn't be having children.

Ahab works, though, I guess you're exempt.

[ She is so gracious. ]

[cardboard_boss]

Venom is my real code name. It's "Punished" Venom Snake. [Because he was punished alright. Nine years in a fucking coma for god's sakes.]

To be honest I don't even know my real name. I woke up and Ahab was the name given to me.

[notyoursupergirl]

Two adjectives and a noun is pushing it a little. Why punished?

Jeez, that's like an old school backstory. I had a little of that too, but I remembered my name.

[cardboard_boss]

I have no idea. It's just the codenames given to us in the military. Maybe because I was in a coma for nine years. [That was being punished, right?]

My real name is John, or Big Boss. Venom Snake is my codename more than anything else. Apart from there's another Big Boss too, which complicates matters here. So, Ahab will be my name instead of John for now on just while I remain on the Moira with my double.

[notyoursupergirl]

Okay, wow, are you sure you're just some military guy? That sounds like the kind of sh-- uh, stuff that happens to us all the time.

[cardboard_boss]

I'm not just some military guy. No one is ever just someone. We're all born for a purpose and mine is to kill people. I'm a living weapon. [There, he said it.]

I'm a Diamond Dog.

[notyoursupergirl]

[Her new fried is a living weapon. Sure. This is fine. JUST. GONNA. GENTLY COVER HER FACE WITH HER HANDS. ]

Okay.

First? That was really impressive, I mean that honestly not like snarky bullshit, but please don't go around telling people your purpose is to kill, buddy. That's such a terrible idea, I can't even believe I have to say it. Second. I don't have a second point, I'm still stuck on the first one: don't tell people you're a killer, Ahab.

[cardboard_boss]

[He's not the most subtle of guys in the world. Sorry, Kara.]

Look, sorry kid but I'm a solider. That's what we do. We kill the bad people causing pain and anguish in our world. I guess you could say I'm the leader of an organisation that's trying to do good in our world. Diamond Dogs is a group of men wanting to bring down corrupt governments and fight for what is right. [He's not just some vigilante.]

[notyoursupergirl]

[And she thought she was bad at covert missions.]

Maybe start off with the "I'm a soldier" bit first next time, you gave me a freaking heart attack. Yeesh.

Figures you'd be one of the saving the world types. So your lot's basically a really drastic version of the superhero teams in my world.

[ Actually she can think of a couple people in her world who could do with a permanent put down, but... ]

[cardboard_boss]

We're real life superheroes but without any fancy powers. We're just men who get the job done. [Because Venom doesn't see himself as a superhero. The men that work under him, they're the real heroes.]

What sort of superhero teams are we talking about here? Comic book people? [Was she saying she believe they were real?]

[notyoursupergirl]

Yeah, so's like have the people who run Gotham. They're all a little crazy though.

I mean real superhero teams, not comic books. [ Obviously.]

Or-- Wait, does your dimension not have superheroes? Like with the fancy powers?

[cardboard_boss]

We don't have superheroes in our world. They only exist in comic books and movies. [Sorry, Kara. Pretty boring world, right?]

Who needs superheroes when you can have a cardboard box? That's my super power. [Because he can turn invisible in a flash. Ta-da! Boss has gone.]

[notyoursupergirl]

[ Super boring, you're lucky she likes you. ]

You know for a living weapon, you're kind of adorable. You can keep your boxes, though, I like my fancy powers.

[cardboard_boss]

[Adorable? He is old enough to be her father. Still, Venom finds it rather nice to be called adorable.]

What if your powers run down? Then what? At least with cardboard boxes you can recycle them and get more.

[notyoursupergirl]

[ Old guys can still be adorable, Venom. ]

Our powers don't run down. I mean, if they do, then... that's it. Everybody tries to fight smarter than the bad guys, but there's always going to be the one guy who's a littler bit faster or a little bit stronger or has the better weapon.

[ Wow, talk about crazy. Get it together, Kara. ]

...Yikes, that was way more morbid than I meant to get. Anyway, I've never really seen too many cardboard boxes lying around any of my fights.

[cardboard_boss]

[Of course they could be. He's just rather stubborn.]

That wasn't morbid, don't worry. I've heard stuff that's much worse than that in my lifetime. [Killer robots, weird stuff like that.] I've seen some supernatural stuff in my world recently. These bad guys called the Skulls, they're some kind of super human unit with strange powers. They use parasites to infect victims, creating them into sort of zombies with powers.

[notyoursupergirl]

Ew. Like worm parasites?

[cardboard_boss]

Yeah you could say that. Like the worms that live inside you naturally, these are deadly. [Not a nice business at all.]

I lost a lot of good men to these parasites.

[notyoursupergirl]

Gross. That sucks about your guys.

I promise I don't have any gross zombie worm powers, just, you know, the normal stuff.

[cardboard_boss]

Yeah. [Sucked? Yep.]

Good. What's normal to you? [As in what sort of powers do you have?]

[notyoursupergirl]

Speed, strength, invulnerability. That kind of thing. I'm basically unbreakable.

[ Also a few other tricks that she's noooot telling just yet. ]

[cardboard_boss]

Unbreakable, huh? [Unlike the mirror he smashes in his future.]

I knew a girl like you once. Quiet. She could move like the wind and become invisible for a short space of time.

[notyoursupergirl]

Yup.

So what, she couldn't control it or it was just super temporary?

[cardboard_boss]

She could control it as far as we realised. She could disappear at will and use her super speed at will whilst in combat. I don't know if here abilities were permanent or not.

[She was a bit of a mystery even to Snake.]