Disclaimer: not mine. Ask DC.
Summary: An AU-take on what could have happened after/during Countdown.
Mission
They were cornered. It was a dark part of the city, where no moon light was shining and where only shallow neon-lights gave a little illumination.
In broad daylight, it was not very easy to be frightened by someone who wore tights in bright primary colors; but at night...
Superman hovered over the ground, arms folded in the "holier than thou" pose and eyes glowing red, a threat that he had heat vision. Black and creepy red eyes
Wonderwoman´s face twisted in pure rage, the shadow of Batman are shadows supposed to move like this?? and then there was Flash.
The red threads looked like blood not that mental image and the look on his face oh my god was undescribable.
I´m scared "Please, we didn´t do it. We-"
Piper´s voice faltered. He never was good talking to people (most people ignored him and never listened. Wally said that Piper was a huge drama queen don´t need sentimental flashbacks now but in the end Piper was nearly always right.)
Superman´s booming voice let him fall silent. "How dare you-"
she snarled "murderer" I heard it, I hear them whispering over there
"murder" "too trusting and easy with these people"
"blood" "..Rogue. What could we expect-"
"always a criminal" "always knew you couldn´t trust-"
Piper tried to answer.
They were cornered. The heros were approaching, there was no way out. If only they would listen-
They were cornered in a dark ally in Gotham. Several heroes were drawing closer, threateningly. Trickster´s brain was searching for an exit. There had to be a way out. That was, when he looked at Piper´s face.
Guilt. Sorrow. Desperation. Piper didn´t want to run anymore. Trickster understood him. the whole thing was even worse for Piper. James didn´t even want to think about all the psycho-stuff, emotions, memories Piper had to deal with on an average day, when he was not on the run for something he didn´t do (and which all by itself would have nearly crushed him) Trickster knew that something had to change. Now. Piper couldn´t take it anymore, James himself was out of nearly all options...and for Gods´ sake- they were innocent, damn it!
Exactly in that moment some idiot hit Piper with a tranquilizer dart. Piper gave no sound away, he just collapsed. Trickster tried to catch him, but was only rewarded by a harsh electric shock.
"Enough´s enough!" Trickster shouted, "All of you; stop it!"
At the ordering, harsh tone of his voice the heroes approaching stopped.
Normally, fugitives didn´t stop to talk. And when they did, they sounded frightened, tried to weasel a way out of the situation...they didn´t look as the heroes were the bad guys.
Trickster always smiled. Grinning, smirking, laughing, chuckling - but he was never serious. Not like this now.
There were only a few opportunities when Trickster was acting serious. And that was always a very bad thing.
"Will you stop that for just one minute?" said Trickster in a cold, serious tone.
"How dare-" started Wonderwoman but he silenced her with a look of justified anger like she never witnessed before.
"This is Federal Agent Jesse. I have been in the service of the government of the United States of America for several years now and I will not tolerate this vigilantism from any of you. From any of you."
He looked around. That had caused shock and disbelief.
"This whole operation was an undercover mission with the purpose of infiltrating the "Rogues" to bring them down once and for all. After the failure of "the Project", also commonly know as the "Rogue War" we had to change our means of approach.
Myself and Hartley Rathaway, aka the Pied Piper were the excellent choice of executives for this mission:both reformed criminals, both not without certain reputation in certain areas and both knowing what risk to take.
We played their little game until that day when Flash was murdered. Our plan was to stop them from completing the "Inertia"-machine, but we were discovered by the criminal known as "Abra Kadabra" and the "Mirror Master" Evan Mc Culloch. If everything had been according to plan the machine would have never worked in the first place and we had already called for re-inforcements. That was however not the case and I am fully aware that my failure has contributed to that terrible tragedy, but we were unable to stop it. Therefore I apologize, but by all means: we are no killers. We tried to stall the Rogues up til the last moment, but it was not enough. I am very sorry."
He lowered his face. Calmer and very quietly he continued.
"After that, we knew that no one would believe us. We were convinced that a confession of the truth would have probably led to our doom in the turn of events. My next plan was to evade captivity or worse, until the whole athmosphere had calmed down. But by the looks of it, we were not very successful."
He still spoke in his "Agent Jesse" voice.
"I am deeply sorry. I know that what has happened can never be undone. All we ask for is a fair chance to prove our innocence. A fair trial."
Silcence fell over the scene.
Then Trickster cleared his throat. He rattled with the chain.
"That´s also his opinion." he added.
Piper awoke in the medbay in the watchtower. His vision was a bit fuzzy and he couldn´t recall how he got here- until everything hit him. He shot upright, glancing around.
What he saw was red. Red with golden streaks.
Flash stared down at him. Piper looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He moved his lips but no sound came out. "Wally-" he finally managed to whisper. He was scared. So scared. Flash removed his cowl slowly, while Piper just stared at him. Fright. Uncertainity. Guilt. Sorrow; all together in his eyes.
When Piper braced himself for the worst he noticed that the chain was gone, along with Trickster. Panic.
"Hartley, " began Wally, " it´s alright." A smile began to spread on his face. "It´s just me; it´s okay."
Unable to speak now, Piper watched Wally questioningly.
"Trickster asked for a fair trial. It already took place while you were out cold. Why didn´t you mention the camera to me before?"
"Wha-"
"The camera, sweetiepie." came a voice from the door. Trickster, James, dressed in a blue suit came in. "You were unconcious for half a day. While you caught up with your beauty sleep, I showed them all the evidence, all the footage. My paperwork for the mission, the permission I got from the government and finally the camera material."
"It´s true" stated Wally. "All charges have been dropped. Against both of you."
Piper´s eyes filled with tears. Could this be real? Was he still dreaming?
All his doubts vanished when Wally pulled him in a hug.
When Wally left for "superhero-buisness"(but not after a long talk, hugging and the promise that he would introduce his kids next weekend)
and Trickster managed to get rid of the annoying nurse that was busy flirting with him while applying his IV and "Do not leave the bed until the doctor says you can go!", Piper spoke up.
"I know about the official buisness the day when you hired me. I knew about the agency. I also knew about that the recording device in my collar recorded everything until the first electric shock from the charm bracelet fried it. I did not know that you filmed all this. Where did you hid the camera?"
Trickster smiled. It was both reassuring and creepy. "-I- didn´t film everything. The camera was installed on your stupid music emblem on your collar. We got footage from the first meeting at HeatWave´s, to the cafeteria accident - you got some compliments for punching Mc Culloch- then to the whole day it happened, we have a few hours of ceiling-TV when MM knocked you out when he caught you damaging the machine...then everything to the funeral, the suicide squad in their stupid plane -good thing we were out cold there, you wouldn´t believe the stuff they said about us,...basically everything, even the end. Although we stopped when we fell out of the plane and they witnessed the end anyway. You should listen to my speech later on, it was pretty good. ..."
"You put a camera on me?"
"...yes?" answered Trickster while stretching the -e-. "So what?"
"I´m just in an overall state of "is this really happening" and thinking that I´m still dreaming- OUCH! What was that for?"
Trickster had whacked him on the head.
"See? You´re awake." Trickster smiled again. "Cheer up; it´s finally over now."
Piper smiled brightly. "Yes. You´re right. We are free."
He was in "pink clouds-happy-utopia-super-glad-lucky-land" when he remembered something.
"Tricks?" he asked.
"What now, precious?" he smirked. Teasing Piper was great. Great to do it as a free man again.
"When you say "basically everything"...you do mean everything, right?"
Trickster frowned, but still mouth in a big grin. "What do---oh!"
"POISON IVY!!" they screamed in unison.
Piper slumped back on the bed. "Oh my god" he groaned and covered his face with his hands.
Trickster scrambled out of the room. "There´s no way I´m gonna let them see homemade porn with us in the starring roles! I have to get that tape back! Stupid sexpollen!!!!"
author: We always knew that Countdown wouldn´t give them a perfect happy-ending.
So that AU:
Piper and Tricks were on an undercover mission, tried to take down the Rogues. They wanted to damage the "speed-stealing"-machine but got caught and couldn´t prevent the murder of Bart Allen.
I´m weird, I know.