maskormenace | VIDEO | ID says Blue Beetle

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VIDEO | ID says Blue Beetle

[Hello, everyone, and welcome to what may well be the Blue Beetle's first - and possibly last - ever video post! He's clearly in uniform, and frankly looks a little inhuman; his red-yellow lenses glow faintly, even though he's posting from a rooftop out in the sunshine, he's conspicuously noseless, and he's covered from head to toe in a blue and black carapace armour. When he speaks, his voice is calm and measured; he's clearly been thinking about this for a long time, and it's something he wants to get out right, even if his speech is a little marred by the fact that he's speaking through a faintly robotic filter.]

Hi, everyone. Um, some of you might know me, even if I don't talk here a whole lot, but just in case -- I'm the Blue Beetle. Not my real name, for the record, but plenty of us superheroes still do the codename thing, even here. But that's not what I'm here to talk about! I wanna talk about powers.

See, as far as I can tell, we all get powers when we get here, unless we already had some back home, and now? Even the people who were born here have them. It's especially hard for people who got dangerous powers. Some people try and use them for good, and other people just try to ignore them, and others try to master them by themselves, but this kind of thing isn't something you should have to tackle by yourself.

Where I'm from, there are a lot of people with powers. We call them metahumans. And sometimes when they try to tackle these things by themselves, it works out just fine! A lot of the time, though? It doesn't. Especially when they go out and use them to try and do a lot of good, and I know that's what people here are doing too. Maybe it seems like it's not a big deal from the outside, but it is. That's how a lot of people wind up dead. [He pauses, just for a moment, and inhales quickly before continuing.] It's how a lot of people I know wound up dead. It's not something to take lightly. I know I didn't have a lot of help - I didn't ask for a lot of help - when I started out, and if I did? Things would have gone a lot smoother.

But I'm not trying to lecture anyone! I know a lot of people here have been doing this for a lot longer than me, [he admits, flashing a quick smile at the screen, teeth white and human behind his mask.] This is just me making an offer. If you're trying to break into what people like me do, or if you're trying to figure out your powers, don't do it alone. If you're not worried about yourself, at least think of other people -- if you've got some strong powers going on, without training, it's really, really easy to hurt other people accidentally. If you guys want help, I'll do that, the best I can. And if I can't, I have a feeling there's a lot of others who'd be willing to help too.

So, um... yeah. I guess that's it! Didn't... really think about how I was going to end this.

[He blinks at the communicator, suddenly awkward before clearing his throat and saying:] Bye!

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They were targetted, yes, but not by RISE. There's no doubt they came up at the RISE interviews because a certain Nicolas Demidov sought and killed at least two of them. It wasn't just because they weren't human, it was specifically because he has it out for vampires. Because of what I did to them.

[Which both was and wasn't avoidable.]

Oh, so that's what happened.

[He glances down, off-camera for a moment. He had mostly been listening to Kanaya's take on it during the elections, frankly enough, and she obviously had a dim view of the whole proceedings. He can't blame her. They are her kind, after all.]

That's awful. Did he come after you too? I mean, are you safe?

[He hums as he thinks before answering.] ...I think I'm safe, but only because imPorts generally come back after being killed. Probably didn't take long for Demidov to hear about that.

Though I found out I have a bond with the fledgelings. It's not much, but I felt it when they died. Felt it when they were murdered. But that's all the bond seems any good for. I certainly can't locate them by myself, having given them over to Miz Maryam.

[At first, he considers saying more... about the native vampires, about Kanaya, maybe even about his powers. But for the time being, he decides against it.]

[He's quiet for a moment, and then he sighs.]

I don't know what your situation is, man. Obviously you know biting them -- turning them into vampires wasn't the right call, and it wasn't your call to make. To wake up and suddenly have powers... it's rough, rougher still when it's not even natural to this place.

But I'm sorry that you had to go through that anyway. That sounds awful. [Does he need anyone else to scold him? Jaime doubts it.]

And I'm happy that you had someone to help you take care of them, so that'll never happen to them again.

[He sighs.] Well, I don't know that she had much of a choice, either. Neither of us did. My feeding automatically sires natives, but I only found out about that after the fact. I was weak in more ways than one, nearly burned in the sunlight after a mix-up with one of the government workers. Hardly optimal conditions for decision-making.

But worse than that, I was going to kill him. M-Martin Wendal, that was his name. As early as then, I was more than ready to kill him... because that's how I operated back at home. And I was going to do that exact same thing again here, until Miz Maryam intervened. Having found that he had survived my assault, she transported me to assigned housing and took it upon herself to care for Mister Wendal.

[He takes a deep breath.] As I mentioned earlier, it sounds stupid, but I didn't really understand the full scope of my actions back then. I was so... wrapped up in myself that I didn't really bother adapting to not being at home. Always had to keep my nature a secret, didn't ask anyone for help, and I thought maybe Miz Maryam might be able to help since she's been here for so long. And she was helpful, but bitterly so. Understandably.

All the same, it's too late for any of that. I don't know how helpful or even useful elaborating is right now, but ever since seeing what was going on with Stark, seeing its effects on other natives, like the model at Miz Maryam's fashion show, and hundreds of others... I don't know, I just wish there were some way I could actually help.

Then I'm glad you learned. Killing someone to feed yourself doesn't have to be the answer, not here. It never has to be the answer here. And it's not so strange, either, being non-human and an imPort at the same time. Here, we actually have communities for stuff like that.

[He's quiet for a moment, and says:] So if you want to help, why don't you? You weren't born a vampire, right?

I guess I just... don't really know how. I mean, you're right, I wasn't born a vampire. I was... saved. [Turned into one.] Which is the exact opposite of what I did for these natives. But even before turning myself in and doing two months in prison, I'd already made it perfectly clear that I wanted nothing to do with them.

Between that and all the bitterness between Miz Maryam and me, I really... Well, for one, I don't know where the remaining fledgelings even are, and two... I just don't know a lot of things. Time has changed, and they've already been vampires for over a year. I don't know that they want or even need my help, I don't know that I could convince anyone that I've changed my mind.

[He's not trying to sound whiny or make excuses, but he's also afraid there's nothing he can do or that his help will be turned away.

Still, after a pause,]

But you know what? Just because I don't know... anything really, that doesn't mean I shouldn't try.

It's not only other vampires you can help. You shouldn't look for them if you know that they don't want to see you, but if you want to put up... I don't know, an ad online or something, and let them come to you? That wouldn't be so bad.

But here and now, there are people around you with powers that are new to them, both imPorts and the locals. Even if they're not vampires, they're forced to feel the way you did once, right? Having to cope with something new, and making mistakes -- and facing down the consequences.

You can help them. It's never too late to do a little good.

[For a moment, he's quietly taking in all that Blue Beetle says. Absorbing it, processing it, realising it's something he's needed to hear.]

You're right. [He lets out a small sigh of relief.] Thank you. For your advice. You're right, and I think I've only been looking at all this from one perspective.

[A very negative one, at that. One that had only been reinforced by the doubts Kanaya sowed into other people's minds about Toby's character.]

But I think I'd like to try that... Maybe after getting sorted, putting up an ad or something. All the same, just. Thank you.

You're welcome. I hope it helps. Seriously, I mean that. It might not be easy -- what am I saying, it definitely won't be easy, but I think if you help one person, it'll be worth it.

And it'll make you feel better about yourself too, which ain't a bad thing, after all that.

[With a small chuckle, and a smile in his voice,] Very true! It might even be, hm. Cathartic.

I hope it's not too personal, if you don't mind my asking... What was it like when you first 'started out'? No, wait—when you say 'started out', is that when you first realised your powers, or when you first started being a superhero of some sort?

Nah. I'm pretty sure I invited questions like that when I did... all this, [he admits with a small laugh.]

Honestly, I got my powers by accident. Got dragged into the business by accident too -- when someone called me to help with, uh, a big thing that was going on, I didn't really want to do it. I was happy being normal. But once I got back from that mission and saw bad stuff happening, stuff that I could help fix? [He shrugs.] It didn't feel like I had much of a choice in the matter. I can't just stand by and let that kind of thing happen.

That was a couple years ago.

I see. Hmm... How long did it take to get used to your powers? Or get used to the idea of helping others and becoming a hero?

[In all honesty, he's still getting used to his powers. He thinks he's got a handle on them until Khaji pulls something entirely new out of his ass. Buuuuut he's not going to be that honest.]

A few months? I had to get used to it fast. Once I started, there was so much to do that I didn't even think about it anymore. I just did it. You'll get blindsided sometimes, sure, but the general stuff? That didn't take too long.

But I'm still learning too. I'll always be learning how to do better at this, how to be better.

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VIDEO | ID says Blue Beetle

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