01/08/11

First new story of the new year!

Written for the "Take a Canon Episode and Make it Slashier" Contest on DeviantArt at the ClarkxBrainy Club.

One Last Chance

Brainiac Five was dead. One could argue that, as an android, Brainy had never been alive to begin with – but Superman didn't believe that. Brainy ate, drank, and slept; all the things an organic person needed to do to live.

Brainy was Superman's friend and he was dead. And Brainy had been alive, no matter what someone could argue. Brainy could think and have ideas on his own, without some sort of programmer or creator to instruct him. He could get annoyed – sometimes rather easily – jealous, be sad, excited, he smiled….

Brainy, Superman's friend, was dead: and it was Superman's fault. He chose to destroy the machine Brainy had put himself into, to give Superman a chance to save the others, to save everyone trapped in a perpetual moment of fear. Sacrifice was something only someone alive could understand, or do.

With the machine gone, so was Brainy. Superman found his body, dropped carelessly onto the ground by the machine's destruction. Smoke and debris still swirled around the room, so Superman had to lift Brainy up and fly above it in order to see him properly. There was no discoloration of Brainy's lips like the corpses on the crime shows Pa sometimes watched.

In fact, he only looked like he was sleeping. Almost as if on instinct, Superman thought of the fairy tales Ma used to read him at night. Maybe he still had one last chance.

Brainy's lips were cold beneath Superman's own, but he cradled him close, trying to will some of his own life into his friend.

"Ah, Superman, what are you doing?"

His face heating up, Superman turned to see Lightning Lad and Bouncing Boy staring at him in confusion, before blushing more at Saturn Girl's smile.

"Ah, CPR?" Superman's voice cracked a little.

The others stared a little longer before Lightning Lad asked about the backup disk.

Brainy was alive. All it took was several agonizing minutes of waiting for the backup disk to download and he was as good as new. He even forgave Superman for killing him; it had even been his intention for it to happen in order for Superman to face his own worst fear.

It seemed like something someone wouldn't do for someone who was just their friend.

"So," Brainy smiled at him, "I understand you tried to give me CPR?"

Superman smiled and gave him a demonstration.