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Entry tags:	defeating commander jonathan johnson, original

ehem.

Defeating Commander Jonathan Johnson, Mission Eleven

Author: Mushroom
Rating: PG-13 (OMFG is it true?!)
Disclaimer: All geeky stuff, ideas and quotes were spawned by other greater people than moi.
Notes: Again, sorry for the delay. The next chapter would take longer to write, since it requires concentration, inspiration, and guts to reveal my soul. :D Thank you for all the support so far! You know I love you. :3




MISSION ELEVEN: SHIELDS ON!

My gift to minnow_53. :D


Dave and Colin!!! :D:D:D


***

”Oh, man, Quatre loves to blame himself for everything if you let him. Sooner or later, he'll start saying that there's no air in space because he didn't work on it hard enough.” – Duo Maxwell, Gundam Wing





The first time Colin knocked, he said sorry.

It was five days after the dramatic incident in The Tent (that would be known to Dave as The Event That Made Me Hate the World like a Teenager); the redhead knocked on the door and smiled gently as he received a warm embrace from Mrs. Austin. “What brings you here?” The woman asked, as if she was unaware of their predicament, and Colin gave her a pile of books and notes.

“He didn’t come to school yesterday, so I thought I’d bring him my notes so he can still catch up when he comes back. If he comes back.” Colin was staring at his sneakers. Apparently, the name couldn’t be told. It might bring him to tears again. “Oh, and I’m sorry too.”

“You’re such a darling. Why don’t you come inside? I’m preparing dinner.”

“No thank you. I just came to say sorry. Good-bye.”

The same thing happened two days later, during extremely cold weather conditions. Colin was even shaking while uttering, “I’m sorry,” and left abruptly as soon as Mrs. Austin received the neatly written notes.

School was horrific, as usual, but things were starting to get better. News of Dave Austin’s crotch exposure and the whole Dave-Colin fiasco were sizzling subjects that incited giggles and impolite gasps of surprise for weeks, but it died soon after, like most gossip. The League of Really Extraordinary Gentlemen vanquished, and the sexually confused ex-members scattered aimlessly along the hallways, desperate for a settlement, but fearing the spotlight. Some were able to accept the teachings, and flaunted their newfound bravery with girl pals and polka-dotted scarves. Others remained silent, as silence was meaningful. The jock leader dropped out of the university after committing indecent acts with another boy in the haunted bench 72.

The third time Colin knocked, there were no notes. Dave Austin finally went back to his normal routine, existing in school for the sake of it, and to his shock he was being ignored again. Finally, the university students realized there were other matters of grave importance, like the recent hook-up of this couple, a teacher’s revolting table manners, etc. The shield of anonymity was finally put into motion, triggered during recitations and when Colin was around.

Anyways, when the redhead knocked for the third time, there were no notes; therefore, there were no excuses. Mrs. Austin opened the door to be greeted by a pale face and long, bony limbs, indications of depression. There were white flakes of snow on his crimson hair, and Mrs. Austin brushed them off affectionately.

“Colin Gulliver! Cute as usual! What brings you here today? Come in, I’m preparing dinner. It’s mighty freezing outside, I should know since our heater’s busted.”

“The heater’s busted in my dorm room, too…but I can manage.” Colin looked at his palms and realized there were no notes, no books, no backing out. “I’m sorry again. Have you told him yet?”

“He’s upstairs, swallowing tap water. You can go tell him you’re sorry.”

Colin shook his head. “I have to head back to our—my dorm. There’s this thesis I have to finish. I’m sorry.”

Mrs. Austin gave Colin a closer inspection and sighed. This wasn’t the same young Colin, jumping around and shooting laser beams at unsuspecting squirrels. He never said those usual ‘negative’ or ‘The Force’ in his sentences. This Colin was all grown up, uncertain of his own steps.

“I’m sorry.” The young boy repeated again, rubbing his palms. He took off.

The fourth and last time Colin knocked, there was no apology.

His clothes seemed too large for him for he clearly lost a lot of weight. Colin possessed a natural slim figure, but his thinness worsened and made him look younger than ever. Bullies didn’t even have the heart to taunt him of his appearance; they were also too busy growing up themselves. Today the redhead was blanched, eyes rounder than usual, and he had a bony arm around Dave’s once-beloved hockey stick.

“I’ve been practicing,” Colin said proudly, his once clear voice reduced to croaky whispers. “He said collecting hockey sticks was his hobby, but I knew otherwise. Who would’ve known that skating around and whacking pucks is fun? I’m really enjoying this sport…and using his equipment makes me feel nice.” His bony cheeks colored and he immediately looked down on the floor.

“Oh, Davie loved playing hockey. But when his team lost in grade school, he never played again. On second thought…when his team lost, he never did anything again.” Mrs. Austin rolled her eyes and grunted. “My son’s such a stinkin’ loser, isn’t he? But when he first met you, I spotted him swinging the hockey stick round the house like a retard. Even broke one of the windows. My husband baked his face in the oven as punishment, haha! Crazy men.”

Colin nodded and hurried towards the snowy path. The ‘sorry’ was in the sport.


***

"Listen up! Teamwork means staying out of my way!" – Seifer Almasy, Final Fantasy VIII





After Mrs. Austin waved good-bye to the lonely boy and closed the door, she tossed her jacket on Dave’s face and looked at him nastily.

“I did NOT swing it around like a retard.” Dave muttered inaudibly. He was seated at the far corner of the living room, pretending that he did not care when in fact his ears were highly trained in eavesdropping on conversations. He did not see Colin’s dreadful state, however; nobody knows what his reaction would be if he did.

“Yes you did!” She sneered, “You were even singing that Beatles song with such an elated but dreadful voice. Come to think of it, how could I have not seen that you were so in love with Gulliver? Hmmm…I think I was too busy having a second baby…”

Dave shook his head. His mother sighed and sat cross-legged on the carpeted floor, toying with her hair. “When are you going to talk to him, dearest?”

“…”

“He looked beyond miserable. He was starving himself, and I’m not telling this in a romantic, thespian sense. Sadness does that to a person. You should understand more than anyone, stupid.”

The son exhaled loudly and looked at her eyes. “If I do talk to him, what would I say? I can’t tell him that I forgive him, because he’s not at fault. I can’t tell him that I’m sorry, because I don’t feel sorry. I just don’t feel like talking to him, mum.”

“Suit yourself. Hey, why am I bringing this up? I totally forgot that you both hate each other so much! I won’t meddle anymore.” His mom smirked and left the room, her heels clicking on the tiled floor. Their conversations were always like this; winding, tiresome and delayed.

Mrs. Austin left her son alone, whistling as she watched him grow and love like a fine adult.


Colin never visited their house after the fourth knock. Dave heard in class that Colin became sick, but even then he still refused to leave their dorm. A concerned classmate checked his situation and sure enough, the classmate found Colin up and about, sticking posters on the walls and aligning hockey sticks on the wall like a fanatic. He was murmuring things like, “No, not there…the distance is not equal to the initial state they were in, I need to adjust the angle to the farther right of the lamp shade…”

Dave’s pride was unbeatable, even if Commander Jonathan Johnson crushed him victoriously; inflicting him with bruises and swollen jaws several weeks back. The defeat was painful, but Dave Austin was no match for a space hero with a pumped up chest. He was still depressed with his shameful downfall, and he couldn’t stand seeing himself in the mirror for days. Must a loser look bad all the time? When can a loser seem worthy in the eyes of others? There is a next time, there’s ‘it’s just a game’. But they don’t count nowadays.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder; same goes for guilt.

“Gulliver’s acting like a total fuck-up,” the gossip choked, when Dave cornered him against a wall for research purposes. “His grades aren’t as good as usual; I mean he always gets perfect scores but the fucker failed a subject. (We all had a celebration after that…so Gulliver IS human!) Anyway, I heard he burned his Liberation novels in a huge bonfire, and the fucking flames consumed the whole dorm and finally, himself. The smoke spread throughout the entire city…dozens of children were left homeless and there were screams of insane women echoing along the streets …”

Dave Austin felt like blowing up and ripping himself to shreds. His mother was the nearest living being, so he took her arm ferociously one innocent Saturday, and forced her to sit on the armchair in front of him. Mrs. Austin looked amused at his cross appearance and told him so in her typical rude language.

“Come on. Give me advice. Speak up. Tell me what I’m supposed to do.” Dave said breathlessly, looking at her with serious eyes.

Mrs. Austin smiled widely. “You’re so cute when you glare like that, sweetheart.”

Her son slammed his fist on the coffee table, sending newspaper clippings and pens flying in the air. “Why aren’t you scolding me? Shouldn’t you yell at me for being a bastard, and send me out of the house? You’re supposed to shout at me, tell me I’m grounded, cut off my allowance, JUST DO ANYTHING! ACT LIKE A MOTHER!”

She blinked. “Why should I?”

The son groaned and rubbed his aching temples. Then, with a shaking fist that tried to restrain all evidence of engaging into self-combustion, he held her hand tightly. “Colin and I had a huge fight.”

“—NOW I GET IT! I’m the villain in your grand love story. I have to act like the mother who does not want to see her son get hitched with a marginalized lowlife, like in the soaps. I have to ruin all chances of you shagging the other guy.” The frivolous mother cleared her throat and made a face. “How ‘bout this…YOU’RE A BASTARD! There, I screamed. Happy now?”

“I’m not telling you to insult me, mum. I’m asking you to help me. Isn’t this time the crucial part in books or movies? The climax, wherein a loved one or respectable old figure gives advice and anecdotes in order to help the protagonist in his adventures and in overcoming trials?”

“I’m not OLD!”

Dave stamped his foot. “You’re my MOM! You should give me MOTHERLY advice! That’s your role in my life as a teenage delinquent!”

Mrs. Austin laughed loudly and slapped her robust hips. “Do you honestly think that you’re life’s being written in pages for public consumption?”

“You’re my MOTHER. MOTHERS TALK GENTLY TO THEIR SONS, RELATING TO THEM THEIR TRAGIC PASTS AND HOW THEY ENDURED HARDSHIP AND PAIN IN THEIR LIVES. I have to LEARN stuff from you.”

“Okay, shoot. What am I supposed to do? So I’m the best supporting actress now?”

“Uh-huh,” Dave rolled his eyes, taking in the fact that his mother was a natural performer and had brain waves similar to a blonde starlet. “You can share to me your experiences. A mother-and-son kind of scene. Maybe something happened to you that is quite similar to what I’m experiencing right now. Like how you loved Dad—“

Mrs. Austin looked horror-struck. “—your father’s not GAY! At least…I think he isn’t.” She looked troubled for a second, then snorted in laughter.

“Of course he isn’t!!!” Dave seethed. Why can’t my mom understand the situation? “I mean, haven’t you experienced the same love problems as I have?”

She looked thoughtful, tapping her chin lightly and shuffling her feet. “No. For one thing, your father and I weren’t best friends. Our fights involved alcohol and butt-dancing in the park. Unless you butt-dance. I mean, you don’t…right?” Dave’s mother looked dismayed. “Nope, I have nothing to share to you—“

Dave threw his hands up in the air and stamped his foot. “I GIVE UP! I CAME HERE TO AT LEAST RECEIVE CONSOLATION FROM MY OWN MOTHER, BUT SHE DOESN’T TAKE ME SERIOUSLY! SHE CAN’T EVEN GIVE SIMPLE ADVICE TO HER HEART-BROKEN SON—“

“—HOLD YOUR TONGUE, YOUNG MAN!”

Dave spun around and gulped eyes wide open at her sudden outburst of temper. His mother had changed appearance; the regular mom with an apron over silky lingerie was now looming over him ferociously, with dark circles under her eyes. Dave could practically see the flames of hell blazing round her toes, enveloping the room with ashes and dust.

“IS THAT SO? YOU COME BACK HOME BECAUSE YOU’RE LONELY AND YOU WANT ME TO HELP YOU?! WELL, DAMN YOU!!!!”

She grabbed a fistful of Dave’s shirt and pushed him towards the couch, and his head was dangerously close to a pair of scissors. He squirmed and tried to escape the clutches of maternal love, but her grip was firm and fatal.

“ALL THIS TIME I THOUGHT THAT YOU CAME BACK BECAUSE YOU MISSED ME!! Your poor mother’s all alone in this house with no one to talk to but the TELEVISION! Now I know the truth. YOU ARE THE BIGGEST, BADDEST, CRAPPIEST ASSHOLE I’VE EVER SEEN!!! YOU DON’T GIVE A DAMN FOR YOUR POOR MOTHER! ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS YOURSELF! SO, YOU ONLY VISIT YOUR GLOOMY AND AGING MOTHER WHEN YOU NEED HER, BUT THEN LEAVE HER ALONE ONCE YOU’RE DONE WITH YOUR BUSINESS, HUH?! TO HELL WITH YOU!”

“M-mum—“

“—SHUT UP! DO YOU HEAR ME, DAVIE SWEETIE?! SHUT THE HELL UP! WHEN A SON COMES HOME, HE’S SUPPOSED TO GREET HIS MOTHER WITH OPEN ARMS AND A HANDFUL OF MEDALS, NOT WITH DROOPING EYES AND A BUNCH OF PROBLEMS! THAT’S NOT HOW IT GOES, KIDDO! We expect success and fortune from you as you grow older, NOT A PILE OF ANGST AND BULL CRAP! IS THIS HOW YOU SHOW YOUR GRATITUDE TO THE MOTHER WHO HAS SACRIFICED EVERYTHING FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR FUTURE?! I FED YOU, GAVE YOU A HOME, AND MY FIGURE WAS RUINED WHEN I WAS CARRYING YOUR GODDAMN FETUS IN MY BELLY!!!”

“B-but—“

“IF YOU DON’T SHUT UP I WILL DECAPITATE YOU WITH A RAZOR! I ALLOWED YOU TO LEAVE THE HOUSE SO THAT YOU CAN HANDLE YOUR OWN LIFE, BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO FIND HAPPINESS BY YOURSELF! BUT WHAT THE HELL DID YOU BRING BACK TO ME?! YOU WENT BACK HOME SKINNY AND BROKENHEARTED AND SHALLOW! I DID NOT GRANT YOU WITH PROPER SCHOOLING AND DAILY ALLOWANCE JUST TO BE GREETED BY THE SIGHT OF A DISGRACEFUL COLLEGE STUDENT! I DON’T HAVE TIME TO GIVE YOU ADVICE FOR YOUR PETTY WOES! YOU’RE MAKING ME LOOK LIKE A BAD MOTHER, WHEN I’M THE MOST KICK-ASS MOM IN THE BLOCK!”


“I-I’m—“


“LISTEN TO ME, YOU WORTHLESS SON! YOU HAVE TO GROW UP AND STOP WHINING LIKE A SNOT-NOSED BRAT! THE NEXT TIME YOU COME HOME, I EXPECT TO SEE YOU HOLDING HANDS WITH YOUR LOVED ONE WITH ACHIEVEMENTS ON YOUR BACK, MONEY IN YOUR WALLET, AND…and a smile.”

The horrific vision disappeared slowly, as the sun died. His mom was back to her old, tired self, and with this Dave lowered his eyes.

“I’d rather not see you home than look at your unsmiling face. It’s unsettling. I feel worthless, because I can’t help you with such things. I’m not very mother-ish.”

She slowly released Dave and hugged him tightly. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms round her neck, breathing in the scent he loved most (besides Colin’s fragrance of books and ink), the scent of homemade cooking and popcorn. Dave was fortunate to have a brilliant and liberal mom, and he loved her.

“I can’t defeat Commander Jonathan Johnson,” Dave mumbled nonsensically, talking to himself. “I just can’t. I tried, but it’s impossible. There’s no way I could win. Not without power.”

“Well, there’s always the good and reliable luuuuv. Ooh, I like that, can I say it again?”

“Loving Colin is not enough. I have to be someone he can love.”

His mother smiled beautifully. “…You’ve turned into a geek, are you aware of that?”

“Shut up. Did anybody tell you that your nostrils flare ten times bigger than their normal sizes when you screech like a buffoon?”

Mrs. Austin leaned back and gazed at Dave with tender eyes. She sighed gently and said,

“Don’t show up in this house again until you’ve accomplished something.”

Mrs. Austin grabbed his backpack from his room and threw it out the window. It landed on the cold asphalt, and she smiled at the awful sound of ripping cloth. She fished her purse for a bunch of bills and stuffed it on Dave’s pocket, then placed a dozen blueberry muffins in a paper bag, which her son accepted with eager silence. The last ritual involved the unceremonious act of kicking him out of the house, with neighbors peeking through their windows as they watched his resolute departure.

***

“Whenever I look at you, I'm reminded of everything I hate about myself. You know it hurts." – Wolfwood to Vash Stampede, Trigun





Dave Austin entered the dorm room, expecting to see Colin lying on the bed with a nasty fever, but was surprised to find it empty. The room was so neat and tidy it burned his eyes, so he sat down on the bed and began to think.

He remembered telling himself that this room wasn’t really his, because everything was Colin’s. This room only showed Colin Gulliver’s growth; his passions, his wants, his things. There’s no trace of me, it’s like I don’t exist. I don’t exist in this place, and maybe Colin thinks that way too? Oh what the hell.

He started punching his own leg. Dave Austin was the king of DEADPANS! He was supposed to be unperturbed by any event, big or small. But Dave realized that he WAS truly affected with a lot of things, but he chose to keep it all inside and talk to himself instead.

He stopped punching his sore leg and cursed himself for the pain. Then he looked at the wall, what he usually did when in deep thought, and stared.

The posters they bought in the sci-fi convention. Darth Vader had his arms extended towards him, in a gesture that seemed almost…intimate. And his hockey sticks. The material treasures he kept since he was ten. All were lined up on the wall, together in peace and harmony. Is it possible?

His eyes scanned the floor. There lay Colin’s space command station, teeming with tiny figures of aliens, creatures, and humans coexisting together. No wait, it was the space command station Dave made for Colin in the span of two weeks. He spent all his free time painting and framing the interior and exterior of the station, and literally made such a mess in his room that his mom went ballistic and grounded him for a month. Dave recalled the joy in Colin’s face when he saw the gift.

“THIS IS AWESOME!!! You’re too kind, Dave. What can I give you in return?”

“Oh no, you don’t need to, it’s nothing.”

Dave’s gaze reluctantly left the diorama and landed on the action figures on Dave and Colin’s desk. Most of them they bought with fanatical glee on toy stores, and some were taken as freebies from lunch meals. As soon as they completed the Street Fighter set they both styled them in ridiculous poses, and had a really great time watching Akuma’s arm fly across the room.

He felt the contact of skin against fabric, and glanced down at the bed he was sitting on. Their bed. The bed had R2-D2-themed comforters, pillow cases, and blankets. Dave was quite miffed with the weekly themes Colin brought up, but he always had a wonderful time snuggling with the young redhead underneath the blankets. Dave would always read to Colin before they slept, no matter how boring the book was, and his voice would fill the room with wacky characters and exploding noises.

I exist, I really do, and it’s just that I’m the one behind everything—

There was silence. The various aliens and humans stared at the lone boy with their plastic eyes, and their voices could reach him, somehow. They were witnesses to Dave Austin and Colin Gulliver's unique - if somewhat wacky - relationship; the ups and downs of friendship, the emptiness of loss, death, and the fierce clutches of first love. They were not just material things made by quivering hands and well-saved money. Those merchandise were the products of Dave's passionate eagerness to make Colin and happy, and indeed he was happy. You could see that the toys, wall scrolls, and dioramas were kept clean, and were still intact after many years.

Oh god...

Oh my...

I'm so--

What the--

--stupid.

“HUWAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHH!!!!!”

Dave was laughing! Yes he was; an insane but genuine laughter that everyone would love to hear on a bad day.

“Oh god, I’m so stupid…why the hell did I have to brood about losing my identity and all those crap?! I’m here! I’m really here! And I’ve been here with Colin, I always have, and here’s the 500-piece puzzle set we assembled last year as proof of my existence!!!” He waved the box of puzzle pieces about, declaring it to the listening crowd of posters and toys. “I’m not just nothing anymore, I’m SOMEONE! I can sculpt and paint tiny aliens, can you do that? And I can read aloud! I can lead a group and talk to people about their problems! I’m a leader! I have power! This room is ours, why did I leave it for that blasted dreary room of my childhood?”

Dave began pacing back and forth, clutching his head with shivering palms. “My love for Colin is right here, he doesn’t need to look anywhere else anymore. I don’t need to wear spandex, thank lord. It’s all here. I don’t need to prove myself now. Will he like me, though, if he sees it? What does he like in a person? I know he loves Math and rocket ships, but what does he really like? I never even thought about learning more about Colin, I was too busy trying to impress him by doing all the things he loved. Hell, I can impress him in my own way! What does he like, I wonder?”

He looked around, and spotted the stack of the Liberation Frontier of Showers near the rubbish bin, and stared at Commander Jonathan Johnson in the cover. He looked fearless and ready for combat. His Crompay Alpha AMP fleet looked dashing as well, in their skin-tight leotards and fierce appearances.

The spandex actually looks good in him, the prat.


Dave Austin decided to actually READ the comic books, not just for the single reason of finding Jonafuck’s flaws. This would make him know more about his love, though it scared him a bit. The college freshman sat down and felt the glossy material, before plunging into Colin’s world of flashing lights and stars.



***

Excerpts from the third to the last volume of the Liberation Frontier of Showers, as read by Dave Austin, this Saturday evening 11:03 pm.


My parents were killed along with several others in our home, the WYT Colony. All the survivors of the war were kept as prisoners, trained to be ready for battle against other space colonies

[first panel: Several 3-V probe fighters exploding near Castillo base, thousands in chains]

I was always beaten during war; my skills were not as strong, too weak to be recognized by the Empire to be granted liberty

When I bled in the battlefield, I thought of escape

[Image on upper left: clutching a dying comrade]

I was worthless, with no ancient blood to save myself from humiliation. Cowardice was ahead of me

I woke up alone with a girl clad in something softer than water

This is the awakening

Who was I?

This I needed to know.

[fifth panel: Eating limited rations with fellow prisoners before next encounter with the enemy (what is the enemy and why is he fighting us?) forces]

With my weakness, I knew nothing of the outside, and everyday I tried to be strong but the Reffmorts were unbeatable

I led a group of others who also wanted to be free. We were all left behind by our superiors

It was good to be unknown, but losing myself in a crowd won’t make me change for the better

[Full page graphic: He discards his armor for his old peasant clothes]

And with this group I led, we broke through the walls and hijacked a ship to join the other forces. I became their leader and immersed myself in the discovery of the universe

For freedom, I needed to grow

This is who I am, princess. I am not a true warrior with the lineage of century-old great soldiers and heroes. It is a slave you speak to. My language and skills were not from birth but from practice

I am nameless to all, with no gift to save myself

Do you still like what you hear? Should I stop myself before you leave me?

[Last panel: The princess embraces him.]



Excerpts from the final volume of the Liberation Frontier of Showers, special limited edition, as read by Dave Austin this morning, 2:30 am


[Final full page graphic: An explosion in space several miles away from planet Earth, an escape pod on the far left side, tears from Reynaldo Phoenix.]

Earth is saved!




MISSION COMPLETE.

***

LAST FLIGHT PENDING.