Session 25

Session took place on the 8th of October 2023.

Notes were taken by Donna Troy

## Recap - Monochrome

### Through the Oblivion

Rhys meets Ricky in his Oblivion cave, who is dying. Ricky says that he doesn't have much time. Before he leaves, Ricky takes his hands on Rhys' cheeks and gives him a gallows kiss. He remarks that Rhys isn't "his" Ronin before crumbling into ash. Rhys takes a door to the bar itself, where he finds... Ricky, completely fine.  Rhys talks about the previous Ricky in his bedroom. Once the team arrives, Ricky explains that among the infinite Rickys out there, one of them is Ricky, the Black Mage, who destroys the Oblivion, and reaches "The Prime". Timothy Hunter shows up and tells them to stop whatever they're doing. He says they don't understand, and tries to stop the spell Ricky is starting to cast. Before they can do much, many more doors begin to appear. A distinct rift in the Oblivion's reality opens, and Ricky yells at the team to go through.

When Donna crosses the threshold, she finds herself inside what seems to be a giant crystal ball. Outside lies the infinite cosmos. She hears music nearby, a woman's voice. That woman is sitting close by on a rocking chair, making lace. She introduces herself as "Livvy". Livvy says "This is a place between places". A chair appears beside her, and Donna, confused, takes a seat. Livvy points at an image beginning to form outside the crystal ball...

Julie wakes up in her home, as if from a dream. Her skin is not red, as if nothing had happened. She joins her family at the breakfast table; for whatever reason, it doesn't feel like she'll see her mom again. Julie's mom asks about making amends with Michelle (Julie's girlfriend who she wants to move in with, but Michelle isn't ready) after a fight: "Love isn't about getting what you want; it's about compromise and sacrifice". The news on the TV is an aberration of events that the Renegades had participated in. It gets worse when Julie's youngest sister, Elena, begins getting angrier and angrier at... something. Suddenly, she doubles over in pain and transforms into a monstrous red-skinned demon.

When Respawn crosses the threshold, he is able to maintain a grip on his sword... but not Alyssa. He is surrounded by absolute nothingness. Then, he's awoken by Nightwing.  He has a back-and-forth with the Bat-Family, who explain that not only is he Robin, but he needs to stop Damian al Ghul and Task Force X tonight. When Rhys thinks of his sword, he remembers Diana gave it to him when he was adopted. "Redemption". Furtim and Rick are among his enemies here. Enemies. They aren't at all how he remember, especially Rick, who shoots him in the knee. It doesn't heal. Damian monologues to Rhys with bitterness, mirroring how he had originally resented Damian, now turned on its head.

As soon as Alyssa passes through the crack, she no longer feels Rhys' hand, or anything else. She drifts through the void, occasionally getting snippets of her friends visiting her, still in her coma from the spear. Time and time again, they are worse off for her sacrifice. Eventually, she hears yelling. Jason. "You can't have her!" There is sounds of a struggle. She hears Rhys, cold. Ra's has reassured him that they will be able to bring Alyssa back. Jason bites back, furious that he woul try to make her into a version of himself. They don't have to resort to these things. They can't...

Through the crack, Polychrome is woken up by Evelyn. They're at her wedding. Vee feels something missing from her wrist... but there's nothing there. Because the crash never happened, Vee nor Evelyn got powers, Brandon lived... and Tim Drake was her boyfriend. It feels wrong. On the phone, he talks about Jason, who went completely off the deep-end. Typical fuck-up. But it was time for the wedding. The perfect wedding. "Perfect like you." When Vee sees Brandon, she starts tearing up. Brandon sticks his tongue out at Vee, and she does the same right back. Tim is up there too, in the front row. There is a promise in those eyes.

### We are Renegades

Donna and Livvy have watched all of these scenes together. She reminds her of the wish that she had made. Among them, she was the only one who has had a core desire fulfilled. Or, that was how Donna understood it. Livvy offered Donna an ultimatum: "Do you matter? Are you real? Would you cease if it meant your friends would have everything they ever wanted? Or would you persist in the hope there is something more than wishes and wants and hurts and what if's in this world?" Donna gives a resounding no, angrily, passionately so. Resolute in her desire to defy fate, Donna flies out, breaking the crystal ball to go out to save her friends. Livvy watches this, smiling: "You have chosen wisely."

Julie looks on, hopeless, as her sister-demon continues tearing apart her family and home. Donna is quick to intervene, using her Lasso of Persuasion to subdue Julie's sister; but it isn't her that needs saving. Knowing in her heart what needs to be said, Donna asks Julie: "Would you give up what you wanted most, if it meant saving the universe?" Julie, with relief, says yes. With that, Donna takes her back to the "snowglobe"... though Livvy is nowhere to be seen. There isn't time to think about what that means. Her other friends still needed help.

This other Furtim is cruel, and more pertinently, impatient. "Get this fucking over with." Rick, indifferent and empty, decides that it is time. Before that killing blow can be delivered, Donna arrives to put this nightmare to an end. She asks him to come with her, though understandably he is broken and afraid. Again, Donna knows what to ask him: "Are you who you are because of your heritage, your upbringing, your people, or you?" After resolving that ultimatum, the Wonder siblings are able to return together.

Donna helps Jason fend off Rhys, long enough for Donna to make contact with the comatose Alyssa. She only has one question for her friend, drifting in the ether: "Do you have meaning?" Her answer allows both of them to return to the rest of the Renegades.

Donna arrives in a tuxedo, beside Vee in her bridesmaid dress. Seeing the scene, there isn't much more Donna can do but ask Vee the last thing Vee wants to answer: "Would you give up the future, in favor of the past?" Vee asks Donna if she can go to Brandon before she leaves, but Donna is worried that she will not be able to return if she goes any farther. With both of their hearts heavy, Donna brings Vee back with her to the snowglobe, where they join the rest of the team.

Now that Donna is reunited with her friends, they confront Livvy together. She explains that she is the Oblivion itself. She opens the door to Ricky Prime, and the team, exhausted and exasperated as they are, pass through. It is a place swirling with power, where Ricky Prime, mustachioed and dressed like a Victorian man, waited for them. He commended them for making it this far; they were not quite sure what to make of him, especially after everything they had gone through to get here. They explained that Black Ricky was becoming a threat to other Rickys throughout the multiverse. It doesn't take long for Ricky Prime to find him in what looks like a map of the multiverse, unfathomable to any of them. Then, he just... ends him, and his universe, as if it was nothing. This odyssey ends on an ominous, bittersweet note... and they still have to return home, to their Ricky.

Back at the Oblivion proper, Ricky and many of his other selves are holding off many heroes and villains who are trying to stop him from destroying the universe (or whatever it is he's trying to do). Once the Renegades return, they are able to help Ricky parley with the "guests" to go their separate ways now that Ricky's goal was accomplished. They do... for now. Timothy Hunter issues a grave warning to Ricky and the team: there will be consequences for this

## Vee's Rendition

Oh lawd he comin’

No idea who ‘he’ is, but let’s fukkin go: he is Black Mage Ricky (Black Ricky; not actually black)

It feels like the same place she went when she regenerated. (IT TRIED TO SHIELD ME)

Oh no, it’s Evelyn and Brandon’s Wedding.

Oct 6th 2023

“I can’t believe this is finally happening.” “Me neither.”

Everyone’s alive got it. I don’t have a gem. I have a boyfriend. Evelyn’s mom is alive. Evelyn isn’t Andromeda.

Tim Drake is my boyfriend. I’m tearing up. Oh no. We met at Gotham U in the physics department. I hear a one-sided conversation that doesn’t quite make sense.

Tim’s on the phone, Jason crime lord happened. Send in the renegades. Decibel shows promise he has to have Discord’s power this is the time to force it out.

I’m the maid of honor. Hard dissociated. Hug him.

“It’s gonna be perfect.” Twinge. “Yeah. Perfect like you.” ohhhh that makes me wanna throw up.

“I’m so ready to be married.” “Well, let’s get you married then.”

Brandon is there. Smiling lovingly at Evelyn. Sticks his tongue out at me. I stick it back.

Tim is there at the end of a row. In his eyes is a promise.

FUUUUUUCK. I want to cry.

Unsaid, if we’d made it down the aisle, Tim: “Think that might be us one day?”

Julie with her family, her SISTER killing them. Rhys is a Robin, Rick Damian and Alyssa try to kill him. Alyssa is a martyr and in a coma, Jason saved her and Respawn is trying to pull her plug so R’as can bring her back.                                    Donna is witness to all and is saving them.

Donna comes to get Vee. “Would You Give Up The Future, In Favor Of The Past?” “....... No.” starts crying. “Can I hug him?” “I don’t know.” “.... If I go, it has to be now?” “Yes.” “..... Okay.” Sobbing. SOBBING. Joins the group floor hug puddle inside a crystal ball. Her wrist feels heavy.

Livvy is pleased we all chose wisely. She IS the Oblivion. She takes the form of Ricky’s little sister.

We’re the only ones who made it this far. Countless others tried.

We find Ricky Prime in a bright, warm place. Sunlight.

He is the Weaver. The Observer. He is Determination.

He is going to be okay, for now.

We saved every single day after this one.

“I don’t plan on stopping now.” Donna is Queen of one-liners.

We truly embody Determination.

“What happened in there... Is there some version of me who gets to have that?”

“Billions and Trillions of you get to have that.”

V: “... You play Monopoly?”

R: “It gets boring.”

J: “Who do you play with?”

R: “Me. Destiny.”

Everyone’s there yelling/trying to reason with Ricky at the Oblivion.

V: “Oh my god, we’re fucking fine.”

R: “Crisis averted you may go.”

J: “Time to get out of the bar.”

Timothy Hunter stays behind to try to get answers. We defend Ricky. He chooses to go before the council.

In one universe Vee and Ricky love each other, infinite possibilities.

IN ALYSSA’S THEY NEVER FOUND VEE. JASON MISSED ALYSSA AND VEE. OH NOOOO. RHYS WENT OFF THE DEEP END.

Vee goes to Brandon’s grave and just…. Sits there…. For a long time….

Oh no, the next time Vee sees… anyone involved in that, she’s gonna cry. Andromeda, Tim, Her Parents…

Ricky squished an entire universe.

CONCLUSION: Stop letting what could have been run your life. Stop letting your regrets take your focus. Move forward. Things are different, and that’s okay. Not all of it is better (or worse). Accept who you are now, and how much good you can still do. Now go do it. You never had to choose. Just had to let go of the regret that comes with being Vee. Accept, Accept, Accept.

Let yourself move on, instead of just convincing yourself you have.