soldieronwards | the heart of the matter

Skip to Main Content

Entry tags:

aather,
ic

the heart of the matter

The ground falls out beneath you. You're in midair, you're surrounded by swirling clouds, and there's nowhere stable to put your feet. The space between your body and the turbulence around you feels poorly defined as well; where do you end and your surroundings begin? Is there a stable you in the first place?

But eventually--

[ Join channel #nobodystaysdeadincomics on IRC. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

As you make your way back through the lobby, a thrill of anticipation courses through the entire broad room, rippling through you and everyone else--

The Captain is coming.

Sure enough, a moment later, a tall, muscular man identical to the one in the painting on the ceiling steps into the lobby. He holds a bright red, white, and blue shield in front of him.

Strange, though. His smile is wan. He looks a little pale…

...and as he lowers the shield, the reason becomes clear: over his heart is a bloody bullet wound.

[She doesn't know what a bullet wound looks like but bleeding over the heart is usually a bad thing.]

W-wh-- hey, are you alright?

[Going to go try to help him. WHAT]

He gives her a brave smile. "I'm sorry, miss, I'm not sure what the problem is."

You're bleeding. I think you should sit down.

"Funny that you mention it," he says, his expression darkening a little. "You two are his friends, aren't you?"

His? You mean Bucky? Yes, we are, and you really should sit.

"To be honest," the man says, "it's because of his failures that I got this hurt--"

(killed)

"--in the first place."

He hasn't been breathing...

I... don't believe that.

"Are you really going to defend him?"

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

justarider - 2014-10-06 00:18 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

soldieronwards - 2014-10-06 00:19 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

justarider - 2014-10-06 00:20 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

soldieronwards - 2014-10-06 00:22 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

justarider - 2014-10-06 00:23 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

soldieronwards - 2014-10-06 00:26 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

justarider - 2014-10-06 00:28 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

soldieronwards - 2014-10-06 00:32 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

justarider - 2014-10-06 00:34 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

soldieronwards - 2014-10-06 00:45 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

justarider - 2014-10-06 00:46 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

soldieronwards - 2014-10-06 13:16 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

justarider - 2014-10-06 13:18 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

soldieronwards - 2014-10-06 13:20 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

justarider - 2014-10-06 13:23 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

soldieronwards - 2014-10-06 13:25 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

justarider - 2014-10-06 13:27 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

soldieronwards - 2014-10-06 20:44 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

justarider - 2014-10-06 20:46 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

soldieronwards - 2014-10-06 20:58 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

justarider - 2014-10-06 21:41 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

soldieronwards - 2014-10-07 01:06 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

justarider - 2014-10-07 01:08 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

soldieronwards - 2014-10-07 02:22 (UTC) - Expand

[he frowns and moves towards the man.]

You are injured.

His brave expression darkens a little. "I didn't want to bring that up, but you two are his friends, aren't you?"

I know not what that has to do with your wound. I have no power to heal, but together we might bandage it.

"To be honest," the man says, "it's because of his failures that I got this hurt--"

(killed)

"--in the first place."

He hasn't been breathing...

[studies him for a long moment.]

You do not wish this help, then.

"I won't turn down help," he says, "but I don't know if I can trust it if you're defending a partner who failed me that badly."

[impatiently:]

It is the bandaging of a wound; I do not ask you to trust me at your back in battle, nor would I, if you would treat your comrade this way.

He takes a step back and braces the shield in front of him again, as if to fight. "I don't think so."

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

yoloath - 2014-10-06 00:24 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

soldieronwards - 2014-10-06 00:26 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

yoloath - 2014-10-06 00:30 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

soldieronwards - 2014-10-06 00:32 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

yoloath - 2014-10-06 00:36 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

soldieronwards - 2014-10-06 00:45 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

yoloath - 2014-10-06 00:46 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

soldieronwards - 2014-10-06 13:16 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

yoloath - 2014-10-06 14:56 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

soldieronwards - 2014-10-07 02:22 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

yoloath - 2014-10-07 14:38 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

soldieronwards - 2014-10-07 19:52 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ON YOUR RETURN...

yoloath - 2014-10-08 14:50 (UTC) - Expand

[ :O !!! CAP !!

but...]

Dude. I'm not sure you're aware, but you got pretty nasty wound there.

He was headed your way to begin with, but now he sort of pauses and looks dismayed. "I hate to get into that," he says, sighing a little. "You know whose fault it is, don't you?"

Not really, no.

"That's right," the gravely wounded version of Steve says, "you're his friend, aren't you? I'm sorry to have to tell you this."

I like to think I am his friend, yeah.

How about you told me what went down.

[has been here all along!! listening]

Something shifts a little about the scene as Dean asks that; edges get a little more vague; there's a sense, for a moment, of I don't entirely know yet.

But the man who looks like Captain America sighs regretfully. "I was shot while Bucky was supposed to be watching out for me," he explains.

That so?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only