System malfunction || DC

Chapter Seven

TW: strong use of language and a minor description of gore

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Rude Awakening

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Jason Todd awoke in a deep blue state.

His body was immersed in water, or at least some kind of liquid. He couldn't see far beyond the blue and, from an outsider's point of view, was in a glass case somewhat taller than himself, floating like a corpse in water.

A tingling coolness ran down his throat, filtering liquid oxygen into his lungs before retreating up and out. There was no searing fear of suffocation; in his lethargic haze, his brain couldn't grasp the human sense of terror that usually preceded upon realizing you were underwater. This vivid liquid, whatever it was composed of, intoxicated him, reducing his cognitive perception to a crawl.

Am I dead?

This was the first question that came to him. Slowly, his senses returned to him. He could taste mint and smell the distinct aroma of medicinal herbs on his tongue. Unlike most clinics, it was a pleasant mix that calmed his worries. Presumably, he would have reacted with a flash of panic if he had tasted and smelled the stench of rubbing alcohol.

Slowly and methodically, he sought to piece together the shards of memory, consciously dismissing irrelevant ideas and focusing on what he needed. Jason realized, with growing anxiety, that he couldn't recall anything.

What happened to him? How had he gotten here? Where was he exactly?

He floated from one spectacle to the next, like a fish drowning in his own thoughts. As more floundered to the front of his attention, he never stopped to thoroughly pick at each issue. Jason was never one to accept his own fear or ignorance, but the mystery of his predicament worried him. even if his sedated state made it hard to feel much.

His senses began to heighten. A powerful flood of foreign fluid filtered through his lungs with each inhalation. It seemed like he was breathing oxygen, but it was totally wrong and unnatural. It was during these progressions that he determined he needed to get out of the tube, and he needed to get out now.

He became aware of how heavy and detached the rest of his body felt as he kicked out with his legs and arms, striving to break free from the glass coffin. He tried swinging his legs first, but it didn't work. Then he tried it with his arms, but nothing happened. He made a fist, wiggled his toes, and opened his lips to shout. Nothing.

He had become paralyzed.

The more he concentrated on the absence of sensation, the more his head spun and he lost control of his breathing. Jason soon suffered from a panic attack. His flight or fight response sent an electrical signal to his body, which was repressed and unable to carry out the instruction. The more hurriedly he breathed in, the less oxygen got to his brain. Jason soon felt as light as a cloud, yet the reality was heavy as stone.

Beyond the splashing of fluids and his mute screams, a calm and repetitive beep could be heard. He could see the shape of a figure approaching through the hazy blue. Jason began to struggle more, unsure if this person was a friend or foe. Based on his previous experiences, Jason opted to adopt the role of adversary.

His mind slipped away from reality, becoming lighter and lighter as his chest squeezed and hurt. Just as the blue began to penetrate further into his soul, the person turned a switch on the tank's side, and with a hissing fizz, smoke flowed out of the tube's bottom, and the liquid began to drain.