Jai West (dareyoutorun) wrote in dc_nextgen,
@ 2011-04-17 13:46:00

Entry tags:

inactive - jarrod hall, inactive - keith queen, npc - jai west

How far can you run? (Open)
Jai sat at home, in his room, and looked down at the letters before him with a mixture of excitement and dread. Several of the schools he'd requested information from had written back, asking him to come and view their campuses this summer. Coast City University. Gotham University. Florida State and Loyola. University of Connecticut , Star City University and Butler. All of them wanted to meet him.

Then, he looks over the at the first line of the letter that came for him this morning.

...You have been selected to attend the Ellison Student Journalism Youth Forum in London, England from July 11th-July 15th, with Keynote Speaker, Lois Lane....

Jai was excited to go, if for no other reason than wanting to get away from everything around him for awhile. He wasn't Kid Flash anymore, and he wasn't a member of the Justice League. Both of those were his choice, but neither of them made him feel better. And worse, he still thought about Traya all the time.

"Yeah, I really need to get away." he says, to no one in particular, rising from his bed and changing clothes. He tells his mother he'll be back and later and he's gone before she responds.

Three minutes later, he's in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, skipping rocks in the water along the beach. It's soothing enough that he might get a few minutes of peace.

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	sonic_arrow 2011-04-21 04:15 am UTC (link)
	Keith opened the door and let Jai in. "I'm thinking movies and junk food," Keith replied. "Not really in the mood for being out on the town lately." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	dareyoutorun 2011-04-21 04:18 am UTC (link)
	"Hey, I'm up for that. I've got too much crap running through my head." Jai says, stepping inside. "I saw the news man. That was pretty rough, how you got framed for all that crap. How are you Marissa holding up?" he asks. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sonic_arrow 2011-04-21 04:24 am UTC (link)
	Yeah, framed. Keith tried not to look away when Jai said that. He wasn't sure if it worked or not. "We're doing great," he said. "A lot better than I thought. Marissa's been so... awesome. Anyway, how are you doing? I mean... after, you know..." He closed the door behind Jai, feeling a little bad for bringing it up. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

dareyoutorun
2011-04-21 04:33 am UTC (link)

Jai shrugs, trying not to think about it much, which was nearly impossible.

"Hey, that's good to hear, Keith. You guys have something really special. Hold on to that." Jai tells him.

"Other than that, I've just been trying to get back into a routine. I got letters from a bunch of colleges to come and tour the campuses this summer. Coast City University is first on the list. I also got selected for the journalism conference in London this year.

Lois Lane-Kent is the keynote speak and I'm really psyched about it. But...I left the Justice League. I don't really feel like I'm one of them anymore. Iris is Kid Flash and I'm...just Jai." he says.

"And I have no idea who that is, right now."

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sonic_arrow 2011-04-21 04:52 am UTC (link)
	Keith put his hand on Jai's shoulder. He wasn't sure what to say at first, though. "Jai, you're my best friend. A Star Wars nerd. And the journalism wiz kid. That's who Jai is." He paused. "How are things with Traya?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	dareyoutorun 2011-04-21 04:56 am UTC (link)
	Another sore subject. "They aren't. We broke up." Jai says quietly. "Okay, well...I broke up with her. Things went sideways, Keith. She's...she's with someone else now." he says as though he's reciting a fact. "So, like I said...I'm just trying to get back into a routine, because right now, I don't know how else to get through the day." Jai tells him. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sonic_arrow 2011-04-21 05:02 am UTC (link)
	...oh. "I'm not gonna make you talk about it anymore, Jai," Keith said. "Lord of the Rings or Star Wars?" As if he even had to ask. But giving Jai the choice would given him less time to think about Traya. But Keith made a mental note to give Traya a cold shoulder next time he saw her. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

dareyoutorun
2011-04-21 05:08 am UTC (link)

"Lord of the Rings." Jai says automatically. After meeting George Lucas with Traya by his side, Jai isn't sure he can watch a Star Wars movie again without freaking out a little.

Keith doesn't need that.

"I might tour Star City University, too, over the summer. I'd like to go to school out by the water. The midwest is cool, but I've been there my whole life. I need a change of scenery." Jai says.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

sonic_arrow
2011-04-21 05:18 am UTC (link)

Jaw drop effective immediately.

"...excuse me?"

Best not to question it. Clearly, Jai was in some sort of deep state of depression. Traya was going to pay for this. A piece of Keith's mind, she was surely going to get. Fuck the cold shoulder.

"I... alright. Lord of the Rings it is."

He went to grab the DVD box set and lead Jai into the living room. There was a huge TV, as always. The couch had real leather and amazingly comfortable.

"Hey, SCU is pretty cool. You know they have an archery club?"

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dareyoutorun
2011-04-21 05:23 am UTC (link)

Jai has to get his brain out of the fog it's in. The longer he thinks about Traya, the worse he feels.

"They've got archery?" Jai asks, sitting down and letting himself sink into the couch. That felt good after all the standing.

"Archery requires patience I don't have, man. I'm the guy that thinks a T1 line is /way/ too slow in terms of high-speed internet." he says.

"What about you? You going to college or is your dad going to set you up with a job at Queen Industries? Is that something you even /want/ to do?" he asks.

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	sonic_arrow 2011-04-21 05:26 am UTC (link)
	"Yeah, true. I guess Iris just makes you look patient by comparison." Joke successful? Laughter, anyone? "College, work, all of it. I don't have a choice about Queen Industries anymore. Dad is making me learn the business. Punishment, you know?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

dareyoutorun
2011-04-21 05:32 am UTC (link)

"Iris makes kids hopped up on coffee look patient, though she's changed a lot recently. I can see it in the way she carries herself. She's gonna be /the/ Flash some day soon, Keith." Jai says, relaxing somewhat.

That thought should have made Jai feel less pressured, less worried about his own path, but it made him feel quite the opposite.

"You could get punished in worse ways, man. Besides, you might be the one to take Queen Industries into the future." Jai tells him. "Our parents are getting older. Someday, they'll leave everything to us and then what are going to do with it?" he asks.

"Somehow, I don't see it getting any easier."

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sonic_arrow
2011-04-21 05:45 am UTC (link)

"That's crazy," Keith said. "Iris, the Flash."

He thought about it. It was a little strange, actually. He always pictured Jai becoming the Flash, not Iris. Honestly, Keith never thought she could be the Flash. Nothing against her, but Iris was... Iris.

"Yeah, but I dunno. I don't think I could run Queen Industries. I couldn't even handle being Green Arrow. Hell, look what I got myself wrapped up in. I freaking... just messed everything up.

At least you have a good outlet. You're smart as hell, Jai. You have options. My only two are crap. One I know I suck at, and apparently I suck at the other one."

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dareyoutorun
2011-04-21 05:51 am UTC (link)

"Hey, you can't be down on yourself like that. You wanted to be Green Arrow and you did it. You love doing it. You had your first test and didn't go so well. Do you think your dad ever had a heroic test he never failed?" Jai asks.

"If you give up now, you'll never prove to him that you /can/ be the Green Arrow. You've just got to...show him. Make him believe it the way you did." Jai says.

He pauses for a moment as a thought came to mind.

"What if you caught Merlyn? Or what if you did something /he/ couldn't do?" Jai asks.

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	sonic_arrow 2011-04-21 05:56 am UTC (link)
	"Yeah, but Dad never..." Keith paused. "He never messed up like I did." Then Keith looked at Jai seriously for a moment. Catch Merlyn? No way. Not gonna happen. Even if he could, he wouldn't do that to Robert. "Catch Merlyn? I... I don't think that's a good idea, Jai. He's not the sort of guy I want to mess with." He was his brother, after all. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	dareyoutorun 2011-04-21 06:03 am UTC (link)
	"Okay, well...what about starting small? You could pick a neighborhood and clean it up. Let the thugs know you aren't gone. They usually need to be reminded." Jai says. "But if you don't /try/, your dad isn't going to believe you /want/ it." Jai says. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sonic_arrow 2011-04-21 06:09 am UTC (link)
	"You know... you're probably right. Hell, you are right. I guess I just... there's stuff I didn't tell Dad about that happened. It's really big stuff, too. I don't know if I ever could tell him, or anybody in the family. I don't know how they would even react." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	dareyoutorun 2011-04-21 06:10 am UTC (link)
	"That sounds pretty serious, man. But if it's really /that/ serious...why keep it from them?" Jai asks. "Do you think this is something that won't come out any other way? What if they find out from someone that's /not/ you? Could you deal with that?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

sonic_arrow
2011-04-21 06:18 am UTC (link)

"I guess I'm just scared to tell them," Keith admits.

"That's why Marissa is so awesome. I told her everything, and she just accepted me. But she was biased. She was feeling ways about somebody I hurt... somebody I..."

He had to say it. He at least needed to let somebody else know.

"I killed Frank Wells, Jai. And Merlyn covered it up for me. I can't tell my family that."

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dareyoutorun
2011-04-21 06:33 am UTC (link)

Jai listens to Keith and nods. It's hard to hear, but Keith obviously needed to talk to someone about it, and it was better than keeping it bottled up.

And Jai really couldn't judge after everything /he'd/ done...and still wanted to do.

"Keith...I was always taught murder is wrong and that killing someone is the worst crime you can commit. But in /this/ case, I'm also willing to believe that two wrongs make a right.

I read about the Artist, too, and he sounds like someone that needed to be handled. I won't say anything more about that to anyone.

But...why would Merlyn help you out like that? Is he using it against you, Keith? If he is, we'll stop him." Jai offers.

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	sonic_arrow 2011-04-21 06:39 am UTC (link)
	"Because, Jai, Merlyn is my brother." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

dareyoutorun
2011-04-21 06:44 am UTC (link)

Oh crap.

He couldn't imagine what Keith was going through. How do you live with the fact that your brother is not only a killer, but took the blame for something you did? Jai asks himself if he would do the same for Iris, if she killed someone and called him for help.

Yes, he would, without hesitation.

"He's your brother? Which side of your family? Wait...that's not really important." Jai says, still trying to get his brain around this. This was a game-changer.

"You said your family doesn't know. If you don't tell them, and this comes out some other way, how do you think they'll feel?" he asks.

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	sonic_arrow 2011-04-21 05:36 pm UTC (link)
	"I'm not sure," Keith said. "I just don't want Merlyn getting caught up in a family mess. He did a lot more for me than just cover something up. He saved my life, too. Despite him being Merlyn, he is a really cool guy. It's not his fault he was raised to be a certain way. Lian could have ended up the same way, if her mom had raised her." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	dareyoutorun 2011-04-22 03:15 am UTC (link)
	Jai nods, listening to Keith talk. It was obvious he cared about his brother's well-being as well as that of his family. Asking a man to balance one against the other usually mean that both would suffer. "Did he really kill that politician, Keith? If he did...was that to help you, too?" Jai asks. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)