crack_van | I burn at the ends (I learn to regret) by stolemyslumber

Fandom: GENERATION KILL
Pairing: Brad Colbert/Ray Person
Length: 37145
Author on LJ: saline_joy
Author Website:

saline_joy, AO3
Why this must be read:

This one's a mutant AU - and in typical fashion for mutant stories there's a lot of questions about humanity, government, safety, and genocide. This was done for the

warbigbang, and is one of my favourite Ray/Brad fics.

In this universe, those with powers are taken away and locked up - nominally for everyone else's safety. Ray has a power - but he's careful to hide it from everyone. This fic is heartbreaking and desperate in a way that really captures those living on the edge. The characterisation is absolutely fantastic; all the guys ring true to the ones we know, despite their situation, and the sense of brotherhood and 'being in the shit together' is strong. The plot is excellently done, with little unexpected moments and an amazing finish that will leave you both tearful and hopeful.

There's also a little coda fic in this universe; take your time coming home. It too is beautifully done, but focusses on Nate and where he goes.

The raids started maybe five years before, when Hollis took office and spread his paranoia to the masses. They had all known it would get bad, but it happened so fast it was like no one even had a chance to stop it. Facilities sprang up like the concrete grew straight out of the ground, gleaming white and foreboding like the hideout of a shamefully uncreative Bond villain. And then the Org raiders started coming around.

At first they played it nice and cool. They just wanted to help. These poor people manifesting powers they couldn’t control, that would cause nothing but trouble. All it took was a few signatures and the problem was out of everyone’s hands. The Org would take care of it.

The pretense that the facilities were high-tech schools for people with superhuman abilities lasted all of five minutes, ‘til some kid escaped outside of Philly and went screaming to the press about straight jackets and modified electro-shock therapy. Experiments, he said. Torture. The Org was trying to get rid of their powers by any means necessary.

The kid was all of thirteen and Disney-channel-adorable, so the press grabbed hold of it and made it the sob story of the week. Parents betrayed, children traumatized, people held against their will. There was talk of disbanding the program.

Then some starlet got pregnant, and another fucking politician resigned over allegations from a freshman intern. The kid quietly went missing from the news and his parents’ backyard, and everything went back to the status quo.

Ray keeps quiet. He keeps control. If they catch him, it won’t be over some stupid mistake.

I burn at the ends (I learn to regret)

I burn at the ends (I learn to regret) by stolemyslumber

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