Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Well, Plastic man. You've foiled that crook's plan again. You sure have been busy this month… You look like you haven't had a good night of sleep in a while."

"Just doing my job, Chief. Nothing I can't handle."

Plastic man shook his superior's hand. He let the policemen take the villain he'd captured away and into the back of the police car. The guy was a nasty fellow, one that let his mother be poisoned by a doctor just so he could inherit a large fortune all for himself. And he was good at covering his tracks. He made almost all clues lead to the doctor being the killer, going as far as sneaking in a portion of his wealth into the doctor's house right after he edited his mother's will. But he's been too hasty, and that was his doom.

He'd most likely be getting a life sentence, but Plas' had to give it to the guy - had he hadn't went into shady works, he'd be great in other professions. Too bad he was solely interested in getting rich.

"I know that... Say, how about I give you a well-deserved vacation. You can bring that ex-crook with you, I don't want him snooping around the office."

"Chief, I'm far too sure Woozy would tag along even if you said he couldn't go. You know how he can be. But really, vacation? Are you sure you can handle things-"

"Plastic Man, we have a set of well trained men ready to catch any criminal that dares terrorize this town. Don't worry about us."

"Ah, right. I wasn't questioning any skills they possess, I was just concerned."

"I understand that perfectly. If we will need any help we'll let you know." With that Chief reached into his inner pocket and gave Plastic Man a white envelope. "Happy birthday."

Ah. Plastic Man looked surprised to high heaven. He'd been so busy catching that crook, he'd forgot what day it was. A couple of sleepless nights, trying to figure out how a doctor would obtain money from one's bank account designed only for inheritance cash would to that to you. But how could Chief know it was today? After all, Plas never really gave them any info except for his alias.

The Chief must've noticed wheels turning in his head, as he'd declared, almost whispering: "We've got your files - before you became a G-man."

Right. "Uh, thank you, Chief. I don't know what to say…"

"Just take a break." With that, he lit a cigarette. Plastic Man watched as the cig wrapping and it's insides crackled and turned into ash. Saying his goodbye, the Chief turned the other way.

Now Plastic Man was left to walk back home, the envelope still in his hand. A few tourists came up to him, asking for an autograph or to take a photo with him. Nothing he hadn't been used to. He wondered if any other superheroes got as much attention as he did. He just hoped it wouldn't get out of hand, like that one time...

Walking along the city streets, he stopped and looked at the envelope. He supposed it wouldn't hurt to open it right now.

The first thing he's noticed was the ridiculous amount of glitter stuffed inside the envelope. Good thing he didn't open it at home, then. He pulled out whatever laid under the shiny plastic and was presented with a birthday card.

It was a card the size of half a notebook. He's assumed that's how most cards were, though. The cover was still covered in some of the glitter, but now he could make out what was showcased. On it was a chubby speckled puppy with googly eyes glued on. It had a birthday hat on, the silly ribbons attached at the top flopped around with wind. Located just above it, there was a "Happy 3rd Birthday!" With 9 shoved just above 'rd'.

Upon opening the card, he was presented with even more glitter. Who at the headquarters thought this was a good idea was beyond him. Blowing it away, he noticed some birthday wishes. "To the best man F.B.I has ever had the pleasure to work with - may this day be filled with joy. P.S - hope you'll rest well."

Smiling to himself, he shoved the card back into the envelope and went on his merry way.

"Woozy, I'm home!" Plas yelled out, after he's opened the front door of his and Woozy's shared house. Almost utter darkness was filling the room, only source of light being the open front door. "Woozy?"

He turned on the lights, but there was no one around. He could swear he heard some snickering from a nearby room. However, both the kitchen door and the living room's entrance were closed.

Rising a brow, Plas opened the salon door first, and just like the corridor - the lights were turned off. He could smell some bakery, however, and he was already guessing what was about to happen.

He turned the lights on and- "Happy birthday!" Woozy and a couple of people he recognized yelled out in unison. The sounds of part horns filled the room as Plas stood there, not really surprised, but nevertheless giddy.

In front of him, on the table, stood an enormous, three story cake covered in pink icing. A few candles were stacked on top, quite clumsily if he may add. The room itself was covered in multicolored paper cutouts, a few of them resembling human silhouettes holding hands. "Golly, folks. Ya' didn't have to-"

"Didn't have to!? Plas, ol' boy, you're the bestest pal in the world and you're telling me I didn't have to celebrate yuh birthday?" Woozy declared, flailing his arm around, at which Plas rolled his eyes.

"It was nothing, really." Felina declared, crossing her arms at her chest. "We just set up a few things."

"Met up a few slings? My, today's youth talk just ain't makin' sense to me!" Uncle Blinky chuckled, nobody really bothering to clear out his confusion.

"We even got the hiker's club, they're with- ulp!" Woozy jumped to the side as a rock flew in, breaking a window on it's way. Plas reacted fast and stretched out a hand, catching the rock before it made any further damage.

"I'm really sorry about it, sir! Bob was just telling me about his swing, you see!" A familiar voice rang out as the kids ran in through the backdoor located in the kitchen. In front stood a blonde kid, couldn't be older than six years old. He was still short for his age, but his cunning intellect was enough to make any grown man feel tiny. The piercing eyes that had caused him so much suffering before had got softer, gleaming less with sadness and more with cheerfulness.

Last time Plastic Man heard from Hubert - a name the kid himself picked out, as he decided Bright Eyes just wasn't gonna cut it - he'd been adopted by a young couple. A pair of scientists, both swell, just the loving type of parents he needed. Unfortunately, they hadn't been able to have kids, something to do with the chemicals they work with. But they treated Hubert as if he was their own kid.

"It's alright, kids. It's just a window." Plas flashed a smile to the kids.

"I can repair it when you'll be gone, if ya' want." Blinky offered.

"What do you mean 'gone'?"

"Well, it's a surprise I was meant to reveal to yuh later," Woozy declared, all the meanwhile throwing his uncle a stink eye. "But I've talked with Chief and he let you have sometime for yourself-"

"So you were the one who told Chief I was overworking myself!"

"-well, I've been saving up money, and I got just enough for the both of us to make a long trip to the Old Continent." Woozy said, wrapping his arm around Plastic Man's middle and showing him two plane tickets. Seems they'd be starting their trip in France.

"Saving money? Wooz, no offense, but I have yet to see you working."

"Why, of course I'm working! I have profits from my fire extinguisher formula and from the restaurant I opened with Ginks. So whaddya say?"

Plas looked up at his party attendees and back to Woozy with tickets in his hand. He still had his doubts about the city being able to defend itself, but he couldn't deny he was slowly going to burn himself out if he didn't let himself rest. Besides, he always wanted to see Europe… And to share his experience with his best pal, well, he could tell he would have a few things to talk about once they got back.

Sighing, Plas smiled fondly at his friend. "I'll pack my suitcases."

Chapter Text

Plastic Man woke up in the middle of… nowhere, really. It looked like a meadow, protected from the Sun by high crowns of weeping willows. Their branches were braided with irises and wolf's bane, creating a mosaic of purple and green. The ground was covered with wild weeds, but where Plas was laying must've been an usual spot for walking - a dirt road lead from where he was, deeper into the meadow.

He got up, not enjoying the weird feeling he was currently experiencing. His heart was racing and he felt sick to his stomach. His dizzy head wouldn't let him walk straight. He brushed against one of the willow's bark, noticing weird symbols stabbed into it. It looked like something his mother once shown him, but he couldn't remember what it meant.

It looked like three spirals shaped into a triangle, each corner having one spiral. In the middle a bluish stone gleamed with the few rays it received.

Squinting his eyes at the weird stone, Plas decided to try his luck. He slowly extended his hand towards the stone, his heart beating amusingly fast. He stuck out his tongue as a strange power tried to repel his hand away. He however kept going, and just as he was about to touch it, he was in a train.

"Wuh- What happened?" Plas asked, his head still spinning. He blinked a few times, trying to bring focus to his eyes. He noticed a green blob moving next to him.

"Plas, you've slept through the entire train ride! I was just telling you about what we were gonna do once we're in France and bam! You got knocked out."

"Give me a minute - ugh, my head is killing me."

"Want me to get you some aspirin?"

"No, no. I'll be fine."

Plas hung his head low, hoping that it'd help somewhat, but the pulsating pain inside his head did not stop. The best thing he could do is focus on something else. They must've been near the airport, as the flying airplane outside indicated. That means that their ride would soon come to an end, and they would have to shuffle their way to the plane.

"You sure, bud?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I just had a weird dream that's all."

"A dream, huh?" Plas could see Woozy shift into his 'professional' mode. He straightened out in his seat, putting his hands on the wooden armrests.

"I was in a forest clearing, everywhere around me willows. They had some flowers in their branches too. I got up and walked along a road and then I noticed something in the tree. I reached for it and then I woke up."

"Hmm… You know, dreams are full of symbolism! I've read it somewhere once. Your head is sending ya' signals about something."

"And what can it be, my clubby therapist?"

"I'unno. Maybe you need to get some more nature in your life?"

Before Plastic Man could reply, a high pitched noise of wheels stopping on the railways resonated throughout the train. A wheeze of steam living train's machinery soon followed, and a whistle was a sign for them to leave.

Both of them tumbled out of the cart with their luggages in each hand. It was nice to stretch out old bones, but they had to get a move on if they wanted to make it in time. Plastic Man looked up to the clock hanging on the station's wall.

"Wooz, watch them for a minute, would ya'?" Plas exclaimed, handing his friend one of the luggages. Not staying for Woozy's reply, he nearly dashed to the bathroom and made sure he closed the door behind him. He only had roughly 20 minutes before they had to be in the airplane.

Not wanting to spoil their vacations with unwanted attention, Plastic Man decided to play dress up. He's gotten good - and swift - at it over the years, practice makes perfect after all.

He took off his iconic sunglasses, feeling alien without them. He wore them so often he could as well call them part of his face. Heck, sometimes he'd even forget to take them of for bed. Then, in the morning, he'd wonder when has the sun became so dark.

He blinked a few times, trying to get used to unusually bright surroundings. Stuffing the glasses into the suitcase, he began shuffling his features around. He had a general idea of how he wanted to look like. Beanpole with droopy eyes and a moustache that covered most of his mouth. Eyebrows slightly overlapping eyelids.

Satisfied with his look he took out a brown suit alongside matching fedora and an overcoat. He picked a green tie to go along the outfit, but the bathroom light was making it look a sick, desaturated color. He hoped that in sunlight it'd be better. Now, for shoes. He didn't pick any fancy pair, simple black monks. But he didn't want to look flashy, so they were doing their job.

He came out of the bathroom, the sunlight practically flashing into his face. It wasn't hard to find his partner sitting on their suitcases at the side of the station. He must've dozed off at some point, as the soft murmurs indicated. They still had time to kill before they had to go to the airport. Plas smiled and walked up to Woozy, tapping his shoulder.

"Sir, I don't think you can sleep around here."

"Whuh- oh, I'm not sleepin'. I'm just waiting for muh friend. Have you seen him?"

"That depends. How is he like?"

"Golly, Plas is so hard to miss! He's the best G-man around. He can stretch to any shape and form, you should see him in action!"

Plastic Man hummed under his moustache. "I think I've seen your man. Say, does he look," With a swipe across his face, Plastic Man changed his features to look more like himself. "like this?"

Woozy jumped up from the suitcases, a wide smile plastered across his face. "Plas! When you ran off I had no idea what was going on. Um, not that's uncommon." Woozy's smile took on a sheepish look. "What's the big idea with the disguise, huh?"

"Just something to guarantee nobody will bother us." He winked and stretched his face back to his camouflage.

"What about me? Folks tend to notice me first before they notice you, you know."

"We'll get you something when we'll land, alright?"

Woozy nodded and with that the conversation was over. They decided it'd be faster -and easier- to get a taxi. Those drivers knew the area a lot better than they did, after all. They spotted one at the side of the road outside the station and sprinted to it. As they were about to get into it, a short man grabbed the handle.

"Excuse me."

"No, no. Excuse us. We were first."

"Why, I spotted it first!"

"Nu-uh. Pl-I mean. Guy," Woozy elbowed Plas. "Tell him we have to take this cab."

"I don't have time for quarrels. My plane is about to take off."

"Plane? Are you going to the airport?"

"Yes, that's where the planes are." The man opened the door ajar, but it was quickly closed by Plastic Man.

"What a coincidence. So are we. Say, how about we all take it?"

And with that they all climbed into the cab, requesting the same location. But first they had to listen to an angry taxi driver nag about slamming his door. The fact that it was in another language didn't help. Plastic Man guessed that he called them names just about under a hundred times.

The ride itself was nice, however. Homely even. In the backseat, Plastic Man talked with his partner about their trip. They were going to spend three days in Paris, then travel to Italy which would cost them a day just to get there. Another three days to be spent in Rome, then two days for Venice. Travel back to France just to get to United Kingdom. Maybe they'd spend a bit more time in France, just to kill some time.

Plas wouldn't show it, but he was excited. Extremely excited. As a little kid he dreamed to make a trip to the Old Continent. His mother would often tell him about how she met his father in Ireland. A beautiful country, she'd say, something she always wanted to show him. But both her and her husband were taken young from this world, leaving her wishes incomplete.

"Woozy, could we go to Ireland along the way?"

"Huh? I suppose we will have a bit of time to… Why yuh wanna go there?"

"It's close to me, that's all."

"Aw, Plas. You sap."

Plas smiled at his pal. "Put a lid on it, would you?"