134 [video]

[batmanschmatman]

[Dick turns on the camera feed and smiles sort of sheepishly,]

So, I'm back. Checked on a few things at home, dropped in to say hi to some friends, Kirk says hi back. Doesn't sound like I missed anything too awful on this end.

[He hesitates, like he's considering just leaving it at that, because he's got a pretty good idea by now how some people take this sort of thing, but. Hey. Sometimes it's good, to remember it's actually worth it sometimes.]

I came here two years ago to save the lives of one hundred thousand and sixty eight people who were killed when a living chemical bomb was dropped on the city I'd spent years trying to protect. Part of the reason I went home was to make sure the Admiral followed through on our deal, because that's a pretty big thing to ask for, even for this place.

The city's still a radioactive wasteland, but everyone got out okay.

[One corner of his mouth ticks up in a small smile, almost embarrassed, or maybe just disbelieving, because he can still remember what it had been like, to watch it happen and run back to try and help, passing out in the wreckage of the city from the radiation, honestly not expecting anyone to get him out and maybe not even wanting them to.] You can tell me this place is awful and I'm crazy for being here all you want, but I don't care what crap the Admiral puts us through on a day to day basis. If this place helps one person - and it's done way more than that over the years - then it's worth it, and I'm not sorry I agreed to work here.

[Private to Tim]

Thanks for looking after Jinks for me.

[Private to Sara]

Hey.

Comments

[hellofist]

Thank you. I love you.

[batmanschmatman]

You're welcome. I love you, too.

[hellofist]

Did you... see anyone? Or just city?

Private

[psychic_hotline]

Hey yourself.

Private

[batmanschmatman]

How are things going?

Private

[psychic_hotline]

Better.

Come over?

[mistconduct]

Dude. The Admiral is evil.

I mean, it's not like a fucking...gamechanger or anything, but seriously. He has all this power that he can just bring people back from the dead at a whim and he doesn't? How is that not fucking disturbing?

[batmanschmatman]

Because reversing death isn't just something you snap your fingers to make happen. Believe me, the Admiral's a lot less misguided than some of the crazy people I've seen mess around with that stuff.

[mistconduct]

It's still suspicious.

[voice]

[megamind]

You know you wouldn't keep saying you don't care if you didn't. The lady doth protest too much, and all that.

Still. Nice to know he keeps his end of the deal. Hope he can do better than that, too.

[voice]

[batmanschmatman]

It is nice, isn't it?

[voice]

[megamind]

Yeah. Otherwise any of us even vaguely hoping for graduation would be getting sent home in a pine box anyway.

private;

[ichoosefight]

Hey. I'm glad you made it back. [ Not like she was worried or anything.

She's always worried when people leave. ]

So are you sticking around for the halibut or have you got bigger fish to fry?

private;

[batmanschmatman]

I think I'll stick around for a while longer, at least. Barring any crazy accidents.

private;

[ichoosefight]

No fish involved?

[yeahscience]

Damn. [Well, that's a spot on the horizon right there, isn't it?]

...Welcome back.

[batmanschmatman]

Thanks. How's things?

[yeahscience]

It's the Barge, so... [That pretty much says it all, doesn't it?]

He really took a hundred thousand people all at once?

[ Video ]

[surfaceshine]

[Have probably the broadest grin you've ever seen on a Winchester, Dick, and a genuinely relieved tone.]

Welcome back. What'd you bring us besides A New Hope, Obi Wan?

[ Video ]

[batmanschmatman]

Oh, you know. Some cryptic messages about needing to find a little green muppet in a swamp, something about your twin sister I forgot to mention, nothing too important.

[ Video ]

[surfaceshine]

Holy shit, I have a twin sister? [But Dean is grinning, unable to assume his customary pokerface for this kind of snarking at each other.] Someone should tell me about that shit before, like, I try to kiss her or something.

Welcome back, dude. I was running low on pretzels.

[Private]

[peektuttut]

Every single one of them is safe, seriously? [Brave new world; also, new hope for Conner. :c]

[Private]

[batmanschmatman]

Well, I don't know if anything's come up in the year since, but yeah, the city was evacuated safely. [Which is just such an overwhelming relief you don't even know. B(]

Private

[strangehistorian]

He really did it?

Private

[batmanschmatman]

Yeah.