Super [1]

Slippery Slope

16
Slippery Slope
No episode

Vosh looked up and saw Donna wielding the lasso. She had the Manhunter wrapped tight."Get out of here, I may not be able to hold this thing for long." Donna instructed through grit teeth...

"The moment you stepped into those doors, you were one of us. So if that means kicking intergalactic robot and bounty hunter ass every day of the week, then that's what we'll do." Donna promised, looking Vosh in the eye...

"Vosh, if you've got something special, don't waste it. Take it from someone who did." Said Donna, a sadness in her eyes...

A powerful blast of red energy blasted through Donna's gut. A hole the size of a baseball tore through her. The blast charred every organ inside of her body.

"Donna!" Vosh screamed as she fell into his arms, lifeless...

Vosh jolted awake. His skin was slick with sweat, heartbeat racing. He sucked in jagged breaths.

Conner stirred awake. "Vosh, are you okay?" He asked, fighting a yawn. "Another nightmare?"

Vosh sighed. He wiped his forehead and nodded in the dark. "Yes," He said with his head in his hands.

He was plagued with the same nightmare for 3 weeks. It played on a loop. Whether he was asleep or wide awake, it wouldn't stop. The ghost of Donna Troy wouldn't stop haunting him.

Conner sat up in their bed. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked. Conner rested his hand on Vosh's back.

"I.. It's the same dream. The one about Donna." Vosh said. The guilt was eating him alive.

"It wasn't your fault. I know you're not ready to believe that right now, but I have to say it."

Vosh turned to Conner and smiled. He took Conner's hand and placed a tender kiss against his knuckles. "Thanks, Con."

Conner smiled. "Don't thank me, just forgive yourself. You did nothing wrong."

"But I did, Con. I knew I should've killed Lobo when I had the chance, but you and Gar were being used as weapons, and I-I just left him. Like he would give up that easy."

"You couldn't have known; Lobo blindsided all of us."

"I shouldn't have given him the opportunity. I should've known better, but I let my feelings cloud my judgment. I let you cloud my judgment."

Conner pulled his hand away. "So now it's my fault Donna's dead?" Conner asked.

"Of course not, Con. I didn't mean it like that. I'm saying the reason I exist is to preserve life, to protect worlds. It seems like all I've done is the opposite. I've put everyone in danger more times than I can count." Vosh ranted.

Vosh sat at the edge of the bed. His shoulders slouched. Vosh hung his head, the shame of it all resting upon him.

Every time he was called to action, he failed. He failed to stop the Anti-Monitor. He failed to warn the heroes of Earth in time. He failed to save Donna.